


Here Be Dragons

by jaqtkd



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Light-Hearted, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-02-11 08:28:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12931443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaqtkd/pseuds/jaqtkd
Summary: Daenerys Targaryen grew up in the media spotlight until pressure and illness forced her to seek anonymity. That is until the handso ... annoying Jon Snow walks into her life and challenges her priorities without having any idea of who she is.





	1. Dragons in Disguise

_art by[ashleyfanfic](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ashleyfanfic/pseuds/ashleyfanfic)_

Daenerys was sitting on a tall stool behind the shop counter studying the accounts; a pen in one hand, mug of coffee in the other and one bare foot resting idly on her largest dog's back. Drogon shifted under her, searching for a scratch, and she did her best to oblige with her toes, far too preoccupied to bend down and fuss him properly. The numbers in front of her barely added up but she didn't really care. It wasn’t as if money was an issue for her, after all, and this new, quiet life was her reward for everything she had gone through before this; a modest flat over a shop full of dragons, fairies, jewellery and magical books. Just her and her three large dogs who were far more than pets to her. They were the loving family she'd never had, the security she had always craved and the honest companionship she didn’t dare search for elsewhere.

They had saved her life. They _were_ her life.

She always had mixed feelings when the old-fashioned bell rang over the shop door. Obviously she needed customers, and ideally more than she currently had and yet, somehow, it still felt wrong when her little sanctuary was invaded. The dogs sat up instantly, moving into position at the counter entrance in order to keep an eye on the people who entered, whilst remaining motionless so as not to scare anyone away. They had their place and the customers had theirs and, as long as their mother was not under threat, they had been trained to stay still and quiet.

“Look, Mummy!  Look at the big doggies.” The little girl seemed as entranced by the animals as she was by all the magical stuff on the shelves.

Dany smiled, moving forwards. “Like most things in this shop it's best that you look and don’t touch,” she said kindly, before dropping her voice to a whisper. “They're dragons in disguise you see.”

“Really?” The girls’ eyes widened as turned back to the dogs and Dany tried not to giggle as all three panted in the summer heat, looking about as threatening as a basket of kittens.

“Best come away, Jeyne,” their mother said, her expression a mixture of amusement and concern. “They do seem _very_ big.”

The mother's gaze moved up from the dogs to their owner, frowning slightly as she took note of her distinctive white-blonde hair, and Dany sighed as she saw the all-too-familiar look of recognition on the woman’s face. Fortunately the little girl proved a useful distraction, calling out to her mother to show her the various ornaments on display; colourful fairies, fierce dragons holding gems in their talons, the wizards with their pointed hats and long beards, the beads and charms and magical pendants.

“Please, Mummy. _Please_ can I have this one?”

As the little family came to the counter to make their purchases, the bell rang again and Daenerys glanced up to see a young man with an unruly mop of dark curls standing in the threshold with his mouth open, as if shocked at where he found himself, and he was still gaping when the mother and daughter walked past him to exit the shop.

“Yes, can I help you?” Dany asked.

“Ah, yes it's ...” He turned to look at her and then stopped again looking momentarily stunned.

 _'Here we go again!'_ And yet there was something different in his stare; less recognition and more …? For some reason she was finding it hard to interpret what she was seeing within that dark, stern gaze.

Fortunately, Daenerys was getting recognised a lot less nowadays, although some might say that opening a shop called ‘Here Be Dragons’ was asking for trouble. However, the worst parts of her youth had come from the best part of her childhood and so she had found it difficult to completely sever herself from her past. Her three large dogs were a help, of course, their presence usually putting off most awkward questions and unwanted attention.

This young man’s reaction was confusing her though. He was still standing there staring at her and, although she didn't feel especially threatened, she gave Drogon a little nudge, subtly telling him to be rather more intimidating than usual. Her black dog prowled forwards on her left, whilst Viserys and Rhaegal quickly leant their support and the young man, who had started to move forwards, now stopped, blinking, as he took note of the animals. To his credit, he held his ground, smiling as his gaze returned to Dany..

“I'm here on behalf of the local animal shelter.” He spoke with a soft, northern accent which she immediately found herself trying to pinpoint. “Any chance I can leave a collection tin here? Perhaps display a poster?”

For some reason his calm reaction to her dogs annoyed Dany, although she had no idea why it should.

“I've made it my policy not to promote charities here,” she replied. “Sorry.”

"I see." His eyes never left hers - dark, mysterious – and she shuddered despite herself. “Why?”

She glared at him. “Many reasons, none of which are your concern.”

“You're afraid of being duped, perhaps?” he asked, taking another step forwards. Dany gave Drogon another little push but, for once, the dog misunderstood, staying stone still and acting as if this man was no threat to her at all. “I can’t say I blame you for that. Here's our official charity notification.”

She took it automatically, instantly recognising the shelter he represented. “I know it well,” she said. “I got these three from there as pups.”

He smiled. “Grown up a bit now?”

“Yes.”

She still couldn't see anything in his expression to indicate that he had recognised her and yet she wasn’t entirely convinced he was flirting either. He _was_ making her feel very uncomfortable though, for reasons she couldn't quite understand. Why were her dogs not doing as she asked? They were usually so well tuned to her emotions.

“Newfoundlands?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Mostly.” They had been listed as such but didn't quite conform to the breeders' standards. _Seventy-five percent Newfoundland, twenty-five percent dragon._

“Well, I would have thought that would have made you want to support us then,” he said, rather abruptly. “What harm could it do?”

His rude comment had her instantly turn more defensive. “My windows and counter are full enough, thank you.”

Seeing as this annoying man wasn’t getting the hint, Daenerys decided to give Drogon a far less subtle push. Unfortunately, rather than the slow, intimidating stalk that she had wanted, the dog instead bounded forwards, dancing around the man enthusiastically - something he only ever did around those he knew well. She froze, both embarrassed by Drogon’s friendly reaction and worried that the move might come over as aggressive. To add to the problem, her brown and grey also started forward, tongues lolling, keen to join in with the ‘game’ and Dany quickly grabbed at their collars, yanking them back.

At least it had had the desired effect on the young man who had instinctively frozen to the spot, finally looking intimidated as he realised it was best not to move any closer. She could only hope that Drogon’s move wouldn’t get him labelled as dangerous and get them all in trouble.

“I'm _so_ sorry,” she stuttered. “I don't know why he did that. He's normally so calm.”

“I-it's fine. I suppose I was asking for it.” The man took a small step backwards and Drogon, rather reluctantly, moved back towards Dany when she called. “I'm sorry for pushing, it's just a cause I'm very passionate about.”

“No, no … it's fine,” she said, pulling the dogs back behind the counter and moving forwards. “I'll take the tin, of course and, ah … I apologise for Drogon.”

“Drogon?”

“He's a dragon in disguise,” she replied automatically.

The man laughed then, his gaze roaming around the shop and on all the fantasy elements, and her stomach clenched at the sight. ‘ _Stop it, Dany. He's not_ that _handsome.’_

“Of _course_ he is.”

“Huh?” She shook her head, belatedly realising he was responding to her dragon comment. She debated giving her full name to check this man’s reaction but chickened out at the last minute. “My name is Dany by the way.” She held out her hand for the tin but, to her surprise, he moved it to his left hand so he could instead shake hers.

“Jon. Jon Snow.”

The touch felt electric and, for a moment, she felt unable to move either her hand or her gaze. _Those eyes!_ But finally she managed to come to her senses, pulled her right hand away and reached out for the charity tin instead.

“Sorry again.”

“That's fine. Thank you, Dany.” He was still staring at her, his dark eyes deep and unfathomable. “And a poster?”

She glared at him. “Don't push your luck, Jon Snow.”

He smiled again. She really wished he wouldn't. For some reason it made her even more nervous than when he was being stern. “I'll see you soon.”

“Oh, you will, will you?”

He raised an eyebrow. “To collect any money?”

She simply scoffed, turning away and walked behind the counter, making a show of fussing Rhaegal and hoping he'd be gone by the time she turned back around. The sound of the bell and the clicking of the door had her breathe out in relief.

“What the hell was _that_ all about, Drogon?” she said, turning on the black dog.

He looked up at her, ears pricked and panting. If she didn't know better Dany would say he looked exceptionally pleased with himself.

~o~0~o~

Once the shop was closed, she headed upstairs to change into her running gear, the three dogs being even more annoying than usual, impatient for their walk. She was now in a bad mood and hated the fact that some random man had managed to get to her and, even worse, that she was taking it out on Drogon.

“I wouldn't have even taken the tin if you hadn't played up,” she complained as she attached the leads to them in the hallway. “And now he has an excuse to come back. You'd better act mean and growl at him next time.”

Drogon now realised that she was cross with him but the poor baby obviously had no idea why. He just gave her a mournful look, eyes all wide and sad, instantly reminding her of that other pair of dark eyes and … ‘ _God, Dany what_ _the hell is_ _wrong with you?’_ She really should have learnt her lesson by now. Romance was another sacrifice she had had to make. Her emotional health was far too important for that and she just couldn’t allow herself to get involved when she had no idea what part of her the other person was attracted to.

“Come on, kids, let's get all of these useless emotions out of our system, shall we?”

As much as she loved her own company and space nowadays, Dany always enjoyed taking her dogs out. The three of them needed a lot of exercise and she'd walk them in the morning, run with them in the evening and drive them out to the woods at the weekends. She was almost always recognised at some point in the day but at least this way she could convince herself that people were simply staring at the fascinating sight of petite woman with white-blonde hair jogging in the park with three huge dogs trotting next to her rather than … for any other reason. And it helped to clear her head; her mind only able to process the paths, the trees, the dogs and the comforting ache and tiredness she felt as her run continued.

Once home she would head with the dogs into the large wet room behind the shop, soaking herself along with the dogs, before spending some time drying and grooming them. After that it was back upstairs to prepare some food and watch DVDs before bed, whilst all three dogs took it in turns to attempt to share the sofa with her.

~o~0~o~

“A charity tin?” Missandei asked when she called in after work the following day and spotted it on the shop counter.

“Oh, don’t get me started,” Dany replied. “What a mess that was.”

“Is it an interesting story?” her friend asked with a smile. “Worth talking about over a glass of wine, perhaps?”

“Hardly worth talking about,” she replied, “but … the wine? Yes, of course. Come on upstairs.”

Missandei was now Dany’s one and only friend. All the others from her childhood and teenage years had faded away for one reason or another. Well, mostly for _one_ reason, but the less said about that the better. Missi was different though. Her mother had worked for Dany’s family when they were small and the girls had quickly become firm friends, despite her mother’s disapproval. ‘Consorting with the help!’ she had complained, but then she always had acted as if she was some sort of royalty.

And, whilst others had drifted away, Missi had remained throughout to offer a shoulder to cry on and a glass of wine to laugh over. She was so beautiful and calm and Dany smiled brightly as her friend giggled over the dogs’ reaction to her arrival upstairs, trying to avoid their enthusiastic tongues.

“What is it with all the men in my life at the moment?” she joked. “Always seeking attention and slobbering over me, but I would have expected better manners from you three.”

Dany laughed. “I definitely prefer _their_ attention. My life is so much calmer now I don’t have to deal with all of that.”

“I worry about you though,” her friend said. “I understand why you feel the need to shut yourself away but I’m sure there are other ways to deal with being recognised. You could dye your hair, perhaps and then we could go along to a nice, dark nightclub and have some fun.”

She pulled a face. “I couldn’t, honestly. Even if I _wasn’t_ recognised I’d feel ...” She shuddered. “I’m fine, really.”

Missandei nodded, understanding her concerns more than most. “So, what about that charity tin?“ she asked. “You said something about a mess?”

Dany shook her head. “Just a very annoying man who wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Really? And yet you took it anyway? Not at all like you to have backed down.”

“That was Drogon’s fault. Well, all three of them really. Acted like he was their best friend and really freaked the poor guy out.”

She frowned. “Poor guy? I thought you said he was annoying?”

She shook her head. “I just panicked because he was from an animal charity and worried he might call the inspectors on me, or something.”

Missandei was looking at her very closely. “Dany? What are you not telling me?”

“Nothing.”

“He recognised you?”

“No.”

She smiled. “You almost sound offended by that.”

“No, not at all. It’s just I couldn’t quite work out why he was … I mean, it wasn’t as if ...” She shook her head, wondering how she could change the subject.

“Okay ...” She really wished Missandei would drop it but, unfortunately, her friend knew her far too well. “And how old was this man?”

“W-what’s that got to do with it?”

Her friend's lips twitched.  “Good looking, perhaps?”

“Missi!”

“Aha!”

“I hate you.”

“Right, Miss Daenerys, let me top you up and then … then I want you to tell me _everything_!”

~o~0~o~

Jon Snow turned up again a couple of days later and Dany fought with conflicting emotions as he approached the counter. She'd somehow convinced herself that he hadn't really been as handsome as she'd remembered and was both annoyed at the flutter she felt as he smiled at her and frustrated at how casually he was treating her.

I mean, she didn't _want_ to be recognised – she really didn’t – and so, why did she feel offended when he acted so calmly around her? And why were her dogs trying to make friends with him again? She hooked a leg in front of Drogon, stepping in front of the counter to dissuade him from moving onto the shop floor.

“There's a little money in there,” she said before Jon had even said hello, “but you'd have been better off waiting a bit longer.”

“I know, but my boss has just decided to have this fund raising evening next month and I was hoping perhaps you might reconsider your poster policy.” He held up some rolled papers and smiled broadly.

She frowned. “You have some nerve.”

“You should come. It'll be good.”

She glared at him. “You presume too much.” The cheek of it, trying to get some free publicity.

“What?” He seemed genuinely confused. “What did I say?”

Dany took a deep breath, ready to give him a hard time but was quickly distracted by a push on her legs as the dogs lost patience with her restriction.

“Hello, Dragon,” Jon said, holding a hand out as the biggest dog moved eagerly forwards to greet him.

“Drogon,” she corrected him. How could he make such an obvious mistake, seriously?

“Oh … really? I thought ...”

She raised an eyebrow. “Me calling them dragons is just a joke?”

“Right …?”

“Because, you know, dragons don't actually exist.”

He glared at her then, belatedly realising she was being sarcastic “Funny.” He again looked around at the shop. “Not really into this sort of thing, I'm afraid.”

She gaped at him. “This sort of thing?”

“Yeah the … fantasy stuff?”

Her heart jolted strangely. Could it be possible? Did he _really_ not recognise her?”

“What, you're not into Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings or … Magical Menagerie?” she asked as casually as she was able.

“No,” he replied pulling a face. “Although my friends and family love to tease me about how unaware I am of all those things.” He rolled his eyes. “'I know nothing, apparently.”

She gave him a level look whilst her heart raced faster. “So it seems.” _‘_ _He doesn’t know who I am!’_

“I just like my dramas a little more … down to earth.” He looked at her expression and smirked, apparently finding her reaction more amusing than embarrassing. “Although, considering what sort of shop this is, I imagine you find that a bit … sinful?”

“I find it odd,” she replied, trying not to react to how good that last word had sounded on his lips. “And actually quite refreshing.”

“But I know you geeks can be terribly serious about their favourite films and shows, my cousin certainly is, and so perhaps that means we can't be friends?”

She gave him a long, level look. “You were expecting us to be friends?” _‘_ _Did he just call me a geek?’_

He was staring at her again and still she wasn't entirely sure what he was thinking. “I had hoped.” He waved the poster at her again.

She shook her head, confused again by all his apparent contradictions. If he didn't know who she was then he couldn't have been trying to get that extra publicity and yet … socialising really wasn't her thing any more.

“I'll take it and _think_ about putting it up,” she said eventually, “but I'm not making any promises. As I said, I'd rather not show any favouritism when it comes to promotion.”

He gave her one of those smiles and her stomach gave another little jolt. “Thank you.” She raised an eyebrow. “For thinking about it.”

This Jon Snow really was incredibly annoying.

~o~0~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here I am with my first GOT modern AU. I'm just dipping my toe in here and keeping it fairly short, light and with a very small cast. I've deliberately kept Dany's backstory vague and so you'll find out more over the next few chapters. As usual, I'm well ahead with this, enough to guarantee regular Wednesday updates (and Silent Declarations will continue to come out on Sundays)
> 
> Here Be Dragons ... and fluff, and humour (allegedly) with plenty of smut on the horizon. I hope you'll comment and speculate as I'd love to know what you think so far.


	2. Misunderstandings

To Dany’s relief, Jon didn't visit the shop for another couple of days. No, she really _was_ pleased about it because it gave her a chance to focus on her work and her dogs and her ordinary, peaceful life.

What she had not expected was to encounter him next during one of her evening runs.

“Dany?” She was used to ignoring random shouts in the park, but those people rarely used her nickname and tended not to come too close with the dogs by her side anyway. “Hi … this is a nice surprise.”

She turned around to see Jon also in running gear with his dark curls tied back and a stride which showed a great deal of confidence and fitness. Instead of the usual shapeless jeans and T-shirt he was dressed in a running vest and shorts and … She tried not to gape at the sight of the very well defined muscles now on show, moving her gaze up to his face to catch his eyes roaming too, his breathing uneven as he swallowed hard. Or maybe he was just catching his breath because of the run.

Unfortunately, much to Dany’s annoyance, the dogs suddenly decided to bound towards him, causing her to lose her stride as the leads tangled around her legs. “Drogon, Viserion, stop. Rheagal … down!” She tugged on the leads, annoyed by her dogs' strange fascination with this man.

“Sorry, I didn't think … I was just so surprised to see you.” Jon backed off a little, allowing her to take back control. “You run well.”

“I _was_ running well,” she countered.

“Yeah ... sorry.”

She sighed. “Join us for a bit then. Hopefully these silly dragons will get the message.”

“I did wonder how such large dogs would get the exercise,” Jon said once they were back into their stride.

“Going to report me to your charity?”

“Hey! I never would.”

Dany shook her head, wishing she hadn't said that and really hating how hurt he had sounded. She didn't feel like apologising though, so instead changed tack. “You work for them or just volunteer?”

“Volunteer,” he replied. “I actually work as a Personal Trainer.”

“Ah, I see.” That explained his fitness then.

They continued in pleasant silence for a while until they passed a group of young men lounging around a large oak tree and smoking. “Hey, Khaleesi!” one shouted out. “Better keep on running.” She pulled a face and tried to pretend she hadn't heard him.

“What was that about?” Jon asked.

“No idea,” she replied, amused by the look of total confusion on his face. “God knows what they're smoking.” He laughed and she frowned at the sight, turning away so she could focus on her breathing rather than on how gorgeous he looked when he smiled. “I, ah, wouldn't want to keep you … if I'm slowing you down, I mean.”

“You're really not.” She though perhaps he sounded a little surprised. “But I am annoying you, I think so … I'll see you soon at the shop?”

She nodded and smiled slightly, not wanting to either confirm or deny his comment. “Yes, of course. See you then.”

He also nodded and moved away, whilst Dany grumbled at the dogs and reminded them that _she_ was the one they were supposed to be following. Her gaze drifted after Jon, despite her better judgement, enjoying the view whilst he had his back to her. Hell, he did look good in that running gear.

“I have no idea _why_ you like him so much,” she said out loud.

She wasn't entirely sure if she was talking to herself or the dogs.

~o~0~o~

“You put the poster up!” Jon sounded annoyingly pleased about it when he returned a few days later.

“Yeah. I … thought about it.” Although she also wished she had thought up a better excuse.

“And the tin's almost full.”

“Well, yes, I think everyone knows what good work you guys do.”

“My boss is making such a big deal about this charity event,” he said then. “We’ve got the mayor attending and various bosses of local companies. Should raise a lot of money.”

“That's good.”

“Are you going to come?”

“No.”

“Oh ...” He frowned, rubbing Rheagal behind the ear. The brown dog was leaning into Jon’s touch, drooling slightly and Dany thought he might even fall over, he was tilting so much. _Flirt._ “I thought perhaps … you might like to come as my guest?”

“What?”

She looked at Jon to find his dark eyes fixed on her again, his expression still unreadable. “I would really like you to.”

If he didn't know who she was then he must simply be flirting with her and … she just couldn't, for all sorts of reasons. She had to end this now before it started. “No,” she said, firmly, using every trick she'd learnt to convince him. “I'm not interested.”

He frowned, looking at her curiously, as if trying to work out if she really meant what she was saying. “Not interesting in the event or … going along with me?”

“Both,” she said, lifting her chin. “I'm sorry if I lead you to think otherwise.”

“Okay.” He nodded and then sighed. “I'm sorry too.”

Dany should have felt relieved but, as the door closed after him, she instead felt her stomach drop and tears begin to sting her eyes. Part of her had hoped she'd lost some of her acting ability over the years but, apparently not.

“Bother!”

Perhaps she should have specified the charity event. Perhaps she should have suggested meeting him somewhere else. I mean, what were the chances of finding someone else who was so handsome and kind and had absolutely no idea who she was. The thought of Jon getting to know the real her had been exceptionally appealing. Perhaps when he came back for this week's charity tin she could … What? Say she hadn’t meant it? Say she'd changed her mind? She sighed.

“Bother.”

~o~0~o~

The next few days dragged and Dany struggled to relax into her old, comfortable routine. She hoped Jon would return to the shop, or run past her in the park but she also dreaded it, hating that she had made her refusal quite so final.

She also had mixed feelings about Missandei’s next visit. On the one hand she was really looking forward to the chat and the wine but, on the other, she doubted her ability to hide her mood from her best friend. Especially considering the topic of their last conversation.

“Are you all right?”

Dany shrugged. “Yeah.”

Missandei sighed loudly and moved to top Dany’s wine glass up. “Spill!”

She smirked. “I am not spilling wine on this carpet.”

“You know what I mean. Has this got anything to do with ‘dark and dreamy eyes’?”

“Oh God, I _knew_ I shouldn’t have told you.”

She smiled brightly. “So, it has?”

“I … He definitely was flirting with me so I … told him I wasn’t interested.”

“Right … Even though you are?”

She shook her head. “I had to say no, it was just-”

“-Easier? Safer?” Missandei sighed. “We’ve been through this before, Dany. I know it’s difficult when you don’t know which part of you they’re falling for, but you can’t live the rest of your life that way.”

“He ...” She swallowed. “He doesn’t know who I am.”

“What? It's certain now?” Dany nodded. “But, that’s great, you really should have said yes and ...” Her eyes widened. “Hang on … flirting you said? What did he say? What did _you_ say? Spill!”

~o~0~o~

The shop bell rang and, yet again, Dany’s found herself hoping that it might Jon returning and then she could perhaps …

But it was an older man with grey hair and beard whose face broke into a broad grin as he walked in and saw all the fantasy merchandise surrounding him. Dany smiled in response, always enjoying these reactions to her shop.

“Feel free to browse,” she said.

“Thank you, I might just do that although I actually came to ...” He turned to face her and then froze, his jaw falling open.

Dany rolled her eyes. _'Here we go.'_

“I … ah … I'm sorry. Miss Targaryen?”

At least he knew her real name. “Yes,” she admitted, “but keep it quiet if you would. That life is behind me and I’m now Dany Storm.”

He nodded, his expression serious. “Understandable, considering what you went through.” Then he looked back around at the shop and smiled again. “Here Be Dragons? So you’re hiding in plain sight then?”

She laughed. “Something like that. Usually people just say how much I look like that Khalessi chick … The advantage of having been quite so young at the time.”

He nodded. “Well, count me as a big fan … if that doesn’t make you uncomfortable. My name is Davos, Miss Storm, and I'm actually here about our charity tin. Jon asked me to drop by.”

“Oh ...” She blinked, surprised to hear the name. “Of course.”

“Yes, you see, he told me that he hadn't made a good first impression on you, which surprised me, to be honest -Never known a more pleasant lad - but still ...”

“We had a … it's a bit … complicated.”

Davos frowned. “This to do with the show?”

“Actually, no. He's never watched Magical Menagerie.”

“What? He hasn't?” The man seemed horrified. “That's terrible! What sort of boss am I to neglect a young man's education so?”

She laughed then, quickly warming to him. “Actually it was kind of refreshing to have someone not recognise me,” she admitted. “Can you keep my secret for a bit longer?”

Davos then gave a very knowing look. “Ah, _n_ _ow_ I think I'm beginning to understand. I knew there was something about all of this that wasn't making sense.”

“All of what?” What had Jon said to him, she wondered.

“Never mind, Miss. Stor-”

“-Dany.”

“Dany. Well, don't you worry, _both_ of your secrets are safe with me.”

“Both?”

He touched a finger to his nose and put the tin back on the counter. “I shall tell Jon I forgot - old age - that sort of thing. Or say that he needs to collect it, work on his diplomacy skills and get back in your good books by himself. How's that?”

She winced as she realised that Davos had obviously decided that they had had some sort of lovers’ quarrel. “I'm really not sure … I mean ... it’s not quite like that you see and ...”

“Oh, never you mind, just leave it with me. I'm sure the two of you will sort things out and, as you said, it must make a nice change to discover new friends without any of your past life getting in the way.”

He started to turn around and then froze, fumbling in his pocket. “Ah … I don't suppose … would it be too presumptuous of me. I mean … Is there any chance I could have your autograph?”

~o~0~o~

It was especially quiet in the shop the following day and Dany was enjoying the chance to catch up on some reading; sitting at the counter with her feet idly scratching the dogs as usual. Suddenly Drogon shifted, scurrying out towards the door before it had fully opened, his paws slipping on the floor in his haste.

“Come back!” she shouted, shocked by his blatant breaking of her rules, before freezing as she realised who had just come in. She walked forward, still barefoot, to find Jon now crouching down and fussing the large dog, pulling his head back and trying his best not to get licked.

“Nice to see you too, Drogon, but I've already had a shower today, thanks.”

“Hello, Jon.”

He stood up and swallowed, dropping his head as he walked slowly towards her, one hand on Drogon's head. “I … came for the tin.”

“Yes, of course.”

“And I'm sorry for pushing you about the event the other day. I should have got the message that you weren't keen from your first comment and … I know you find me annoying and-”

“-No.”

He looked up at her, blinking. “No?”

“I mean, you _did_ come on too strong about the event and I really don't want to go to it but I … I don't find you annoying.”

He looked up at her, his eyes wide and … hopeful? He swallowed. “Really?”

She smiled slightly. “Well a _little_ annoying perhaps but …” She dropped her head, quite unable to look him in the eye when he was staring at her like that. “It's just … I'm not a very sociable person nowadays you see. Awkward about being in crowds and ...”

“Okay. I understand.” He frowned, thinking. “Maybe we could go for a run together with the dogs some time then. I could take one of them for you, perhaps? How does that sound?”

“I'd like that.” She took a deep breath, trying to find her courage. “How about tomorrow evening?”

His smile was gentle and almost shy, making her heartbeat suddenly quicken. “Tomorrow,” he agreed, his voice breathy.

~o~0~o~

“Okay, that’s it! I’m coming over when you close the shop tomorrow.” Missandei’s voice on the phone sounded positively gleeful.

“Well, I’m really not sure ....”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll just ‘be on my way out’ when he arrives, I promise.”

Dany sighed. “Have I told you how much I hate you?”

“Often,” she replied. “It’s a good job you’re such a terrible liar.”

“I’m still not sure this whole thing is wise.”

“I quite understand, Dany, which is why you need your best friend to give her opinion on the matter and help you pick out the perfect outfit.”

“Outfit? We’re going for a run.”

“The perfect, very skimpy, running outfit.”

“Oh, God!”

“If you’ve got it, flaunt it and you, my dear most definitely have got it. And so does he from what you’ve told me.”

“I’m still not sure you need to come over.”

“Nonsense, you drool worse than the dogs whenever you talk about him and so I need to see if this Jon Snow really is as pretty as you say he is.”

~o~0~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your early response to this one. And yes, I know I'm teasing here and you still have a ton of questions but you'll continue to get more as each chapter appears. 
> 
> Have included one of my 'Scribble-Pics' here, a fun way of illustrating my fics when I don't have time for detailed art. Rather like SD, I have a few scenes I'd like to draw but time is currently against me. A new year resolution, perhaps?


	3. Date With Destiny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Previously:**
> 
>  
> 
> Dany was a child star in a TV show that Jon's never watched and his subtle flirting has Dany inexplicably nervous. After a couple of misunderstandings she finally agrees to go out for a run with him and her dogs.

Saturday had been hot and sunny but at least it was cooling a little for Dany’s evening run with Jon, and the dogs would be fine as long as they had plenty of water before and after. She had planned to wear her plain grey jogging leggings with a white vest but Missandei was having none of it, picking out the most figure-hugging running gear she could find; snug shorts and a mesh vest over a crop top, mostly black but accented with bright, red lines.

“It’s perhaps too much?” Dany suggested. “Or too little, I should say.”

“It’s hot out,” her friend countered. “And anyway, you’re a shop keeper, so you know how these things work.” She smiled slyly, hands spread out wide towards her friend. “Always put your best merchandise out on full display.”

“Missandei!”

Her friend helped her to get the dogs ready and was just topping up their water bowls in the hallway when the doorbell rang. Dany prepared herself for the potentially embarrassing introduction but the dogs managed to make it less awkward - albeit considerably more chaotic - as they all enthusiastically ran to greet Jon and got overly excited about having their three favourite humans all in one small space.

“This is my good friend, Missandei,” Dany said eventually. “Missi, this is Jon Snow.”

“A pleasure,” she said holding her hand out to shake, whilst she continued to fuss Viserion with the other. “I was here to help with the dragons but am just on my way out.”

“Oh, I see. Nice to meet you,” Jon said, politely and if he was relieved at realising she wasn’t staying for extra support, he certainly didn’t show it. As he moved in to drop his rucksack on the floor, Missandei headed towards the door and gave Dany an enthusiastic thumbs up and a rather dirty smirk as she headed out. Apparently her friend entirely agreed with her assessment of his looks.

“Take Rhegal,” she said to Jon as they headed outside. “He likes you almost as much as Drogon does and is considerably more placid. It does take quite a bit of getting used to though, running with such large dogs.”

“Okay.” He was looking at her more closely now and she was sure she caught him licking his lips. “Ah, nice running gear.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, more than aware that it wasn’t exactly the clothes he was admiring. “Yes, I like this brand. Shall we go?”

“You're right, this _is_ a bit odd,” Jon said as they started running towards the nearby park. “I'm used to having both arms free.”

“The trick is to stay close and keep the lead loose,” she said. “Rhaegal's used to my stride but he'll adapt quickly, I'm sure.” She realised it would be far easier to talk now before they got too tired. “So, personal trainer? You have a lot of customers?”

“I've only recently moved down here,” he replied, “ and so, no, not yet.”

“Oh, where from?”

“Sheffield.”

“But you’re making enough to afford to live down here?”

He shrugged. “I have some money put aside until I find my feet and I'm sharing a flat, which helps.”

His answer was brief and gave Dany the firm impression that that was the end of that conversation. She had no idea why she was pushing anyway? Her asking Jon personal questions was inviting him to do the same and that _definitely_ wouldn't end well.

“No comments on my running style then?” she asked once they’d entered the park.

He smiled at her. “You fishing for free advice?”

“That would be unfair, wouldn't it?”

He laughed. “I'm joking but, as I said before, you're a very good runner. I would have suggested using your arms more but I now realise it's not that easy.” She turned to grin at him and couldn't stop her eyes from wandering, checking out the muscles on his arms and legs and … her imagination briefly went a little further before he caught her looking and smirked. “I'd also suggest keeping your eyes forward and concentrating on the path ahead,” he teased.

She raised her eyebrows.  “Like you've been doing, you mean?”

“Touché.”

“Hey!” A man shouted out as they ran past the lake. “You're a real bitch, you know that?”

“What the …?” Jon spun around, his face full of rage and Rhaegal instantly picked up on his mood, pulling on the lead and growling at the ‘fan’. The man quickly realised his mistake and started to turn away, his hands raised, whilst Jon honestly looked like he was going to sprint after him and beat him up with his bare hands.

“Leave it, Jon. It's not worth it.”

“Dany?” There was now nothing but confusion on his face. “I know girls often get harassed on runs but that was … I mean … cat-calling I could sort of understand but why would he say …?”

“Seriously, it's not a big deal.”

“Like hell, it's not!” She smiled at his reaction, which appeared to confuse him even more. “What?”

“I love how offended you're getting on my behalf, Jon, but the dogs are smart and pick up on your emotions so I'd calm down if I were you. Don't want them getting done for being dangerous.”

“But ...”

“Hill coming up. Going to need my breath for it.”

Dany knew she wouldn’t be able to keep him in the dark for much longer, but she had hoped to get to know him a little better before that happened. She sighed, wondering if she really did have that luxury. It wouldn't work out, she was sure of it, but she was enjoying spending time with Jon and he looked as if he could actually be someone quite special and so … Perhaps just a little bit of fun? Could she allow herself that? Didn't she deserve a little something after everything she’d been through?

~o~0~o~

They were both hot and sweating when they got back to her flat and the dogs were panting furiously - the three of them headed instantly for their water bowls in the hallway - and Dany only took a drink from her bottle once she was sure they were okay.

“Stretches?” Jon suggested..

She pulled a face. “The dogs need seeing to.”

“Stretches,” he insisted.

“Fine, coach,” she grumbled, following his lead as he went methodically through every single one, even insisting she got the dogs to sit when they started to get impatient. Jon was trying to be all stern and business-like but it was quite obvious that he was eyeing her up again. And she might have complained about just how many hamstring stretches he was insisting on if it wasn’t for the pleasant view she was getting in return. _‘God, those muscles!’_

“You're welcome to stay for a bit,” she said, “although, be warned, I may rope you into bathing the dogs.”

“Yes, how does a little thing like you manage that?”

She grinned. “Come and see … if you dare.”

She lead him through the narrow hallway at the side of the shop and from there to the area behind the stock room. This had originally been a kitchen and dining room but was now effectively a large wet room, with fully tiled walls and floor with a couple of large showers, and a dry changing room attached.

“Easiest way is just to walk in with them,” she explained. “And then you get a shower and a clothes wash all in one go.”

“Sounds like fun,” he said. “Sure, I’ll help.”

“It's hard work but they're fairly co-operative, most of the time, and it should be a lot easier with two of us.”

Dany tried her best to focus on the dogs and simply let Jon follow her lead, but she hadn't appreciated quite how distracting this was going to be with him there. It was one thing to admire him in his running gear in the park or when they were stretching but now he was soaking wet, a few curls falling out of his tie and with water streaming down his face and the muscles of his legs. She wasn't even quite sure when she had stopped trying to deny her attraction to him but, right now, it was taking all of her self control not to push the dogs to one side and throw herself at him. And it had been quite a while since she'd done such a thing; back in her wild teenage years when the fame had made her feel invincible and no-one had understood just how much pain she was actually in. Most of her memories from that time were vague and confused and she'd not given those early sexual encounters much thought recently, but now she recalled what it had felt like; the thrill, the desire … the longing.

“Yes ...?” Jon was watching her, his eyes even darker than usual, apparently fully aware she'd been eyeing him up.

She pulled her attention back to Viserion, knowing she hadn't fully been able to school her smirk. “Nothing.”

“So, what now?” he asked.

“Well, they're all clean and mostly dry but we're not. There are plenty of towels in the next room and you can change there. I'll go upstairs and the dogs can rest in their room down here for a while.” She paused, debating what she was about to say. “You can stay a bit longer if you want? I can order in some food?”

“Sounds good,” he said and she nodded, heading past him towards the stairs. “Dany?” She stopped, turning to find Jon far too close to her, his gaze darting briefly up and down her body. He licked his lips and shook his head. “Never mind. I'll see you up there.”

She swallowed hard and nodded, wondering if Jon was as confused by all of this as she was. She just couldn't seem to keep her head around him but yet she really needed to decide what she wanted because things were moving far quicker than she’d planned. She had been totally miserable after she'd turned him away before and yet … Could she really risk become involved with him whilst keeping so many secrets?

~o~0~o~

Dany dressed quickly and casually in snug grey leggings and a long, baggy T-shirt, tying her damp hair roughly up in a bun on the top of her head. Jon sauntered in wearing standard jeans and T-shirt with his own damp curls loose and she had to quickly turn her gaze away as she tried to work out how he managed to look so damn sexy in such ordinary attire.

“How much of a fitness nut are you?” she asked him. “Only I fancied pizza and I've plenty of alcohol here if you want to make an evening of it.”

“Haven't had pizza in ages,” he replied. “And I'm a firm believer in an occasional treat at the weekend. Makes it easier to stick to healthy eating during the week.”

She nodded, lifting up a bottle. “Wine?”

“Sure. I’m walking back”

“You working tomorrow?” she asked.

“Not officially, although sometimes Davos calls me into the shelter on a Sunday afternoon.” Dany nodded again, trying not to think ahead too much. Having Jon here all evening was an exciting prospect but she still hadn’t decided how far she wanted this to go.

She went downstairs to fetch the dogs and they were then the main topic of conversation as they all lounged in her main living room and waited for the food to arrive. Jon then shared some amusing stories from the rescue centre and seemed exceptionally happy whenever he managed to make her laugh. She skirted around a few things and he also seemed evasive at times which made Dany think that she wasn’t the only one dealing with past traumas. The two of them were making fairly fast progress through the wine bottle though, enough to make her a little tipsy, which was almost certainly asking for trouble. Then she had an idea.

“Let's watch a film,” she said. “I need to introduce you to the world of fantasy.”

“Ah … really?” he asked, wincing.

“Realism is over-rated. Especially in this day and age.” She opened her DVD cabinet, eyeing up the choices.

He whistled. “That is _some_ collection.”

“Been building it up for years and much prefer this to the On Demand stuff, to be honest.” Her gaze then fell on the complete box set of 'Magical Menagerie' and she shook her head. _Definitely not for tonight._ “Let's go with 'Lord of the Rings' then. At least you can admire the scenery if the story's not to your taste.”

“I do like a pretty view,” he said and Dany turned sharply on hearing the edge in his voice to find him staring unabashedly at her.

She shook her head, smiling as she put the pizza box down and moved to sit next to him on the sofa. Once she’d picked up the remote control, Jon edged a little closer, his arm on the back of the sofa behind her and Dany willed herself to focus on the screen as her whole body tingled at his proximity.

“This is actually pretty good,” Jon conceded half an hour later and then grinned at her look of triumph. “Not what I was expecting, I admit.”

“Some people have funny ideas about fantasy.”

His lowered his arm slightly, until it was brushing the back of her head and, now with plenty of wine in her system, Dany relaxed, curling her legs up next to her and edging very slightly closer. She heard Jon's breath catch and he lowered his arm further until it finally settled around her shoulders. She breathed out, feeling simultaneously relaxed and extremely turned on. This felt so good, snuggled up on the sofa in his arms. She wondered if he was feeling as distracted as she was.

Picking a long film had been a good idea. By the end of it they were both tired and a little tipsy but, when Jon suggested he left, Dany realised she didn't want him to go and yet … she didn't want to give him the wrong idea either.

“Stay for a bit longer?” she asked. “I mean … you can crash here if you want. I've a spare room?” He raised an eyebrow. “I just think … perhaps ... we should talk about what's going on here.”

He nodded, his initial amusement at her floundering quickly disappearing and the familiar stern look settling back on his face. “That's a good idea, I think.” Although there was a long pause before either of them talked again. When Dany eventually managed it, it all came out in a bit of a rush.

“I like you, Jon and … I want to get to know you better but … my past is awkward and parts of it will probably freak you out and I don't quite know you well enough yet to tell you all of it and yet this … this seems to be moving quite fast?”

He nodded. “I understand. I've got some serious trauma in my past, in fact. Stuff I'm not comfortable about sharing.”

“Really?” Although she'd already suspected that.

“Yes and, it's like you said, I want to get to know you better and I want to spend more time with you and I like you too and ...” He laughed, his gaze never once leaving her. “Who am I kidding. I'm _crazy_ about you, Dany. From the very first moment I set eyes on you.”

“Oh ...” She knew that really but, the way he said it, the way he was looking at her now.

“And so, I probably _shouldn't_ stay - especially not after all that wine – because, as you said, we should get to know each other a little better first.”

“But you want to continue with this?” she pushed.

“Yes,” the look he gave then her was intense and thrilling. “I want you to be my girlfriend.”

She couldn’t help smiling at that, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. “Yes, I’d like that. And so … we should see more of each other whilst also understanding that the other person comes with … baggage?”

Jon laughed. “I can say, at least, that none of that baggage is of the relationship variety.”

“Good to know,” she said. “Mine neither, really.”

He paused, frowning, thinking. “All right then. I really am tired now so … show me to your spare room.”

“Okay.”

Dany stood and he copied, rather abruptly and, as she started to walk past him, Jon’s hand reached out and gently took her wrist, encouraging her to face him. Her heart was pounding as he looked down at her and she moved even closer, lifting her head slightly and then … he licked his lips. She really didn't think that sleeping together was a good idea this early on in their relationship but a kiss? She really would like that to happen before he learnt the truth. In fact, it would be the first time that anyone had actually kissed her as Dany and not Daenerys and it was only now that she realised just how much her ego needed that boost. Seeing he was being a bit hesitant, she decided to make a move, standing up on her toes and pressing her lips to his.

It was so gentle. In many ways no more than a peck - the type of kiss which might almost seem platonic in other circumstances - but the tiny touch of lips had a huge effect on her body; the blood roaring in her ears, her stomach twisting. She had only pulled away a fraction afterwards and Jon hadn't moved at all, his dark eyes staring at her, but she could hear his uneven breathing, see the shock on his face. Then it was his turn to move, his kiss only a little more insistent than hers. Still gentle, but lingering, lips caressing hers whilst his hands moved from her wrist to her waist. The soft touch made Dany jolt as she fought against some base desire to throw herself at him, to grab at his hips and explore under his shirt. Her naughty thoughts caused her to lick her lips which may have been a mistake seeing as Jon's lips were currently pressed against hers. He groaned, a deep, sexy sound which was almost a growl, opening his mouth and kissing her deeper, assuming her lick had given his tongue permission to enter. Well, that hadn’t been her intention, but she certainly wasn't going to complain about it. So, she threw her arms around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist, pulling her snugly against him, and his body felt _so_ good pressed up against hers.

But this really was going far too fast. Somehow, Dany managed to find the will power to move her hands to his shoulders, giving them a very gentle nudge, which was enough for Jon to get the message and pull reluctantly away.

“S-sorry,” he stuttered. “I had just intended to kiss you, not … ravish you.”

She smiled. “No apology needed. It wasn't exactly one-sided, after all.”

“I have no idea what’s going on here,” he admitted. “I feel that I _need_ you - like water - rather than simply desiring you. Does that make sense?”

She nodded. “Yes, it does.” She managed to take one further step back. “Definitely time for bed now. This room is yours.”

“Thanks.” He seemed to be debating giving her another kiss but obviously realised that that was now a dangerous prospect and shook his head, moving through the door with a shy smile.

Dany walked into her own bedroom and leant back against the door as she closed it, breathing heavily. “Now I'm in trouble.”

She had never been kissed like that. Not in a way which was simultaneously romantic, sexy and sinful. She had no idea how long she’d stayed there for, trying to get her thoughts into some sort of order, but eventually she managed to move to change into her night clothes before laying back on the bed, feeling highly turned on but not certain she dared to do anything about it with Jon just across the corridor. But she'd had the same effect on him, hadn't she? And so perhaps he was now lying in bed, thinking of her, feeling aroused and was also …? She groaned at the thought, slipping her shorts down over her hips and promising herself that she would be very, very quiet.

~o~0~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's start turning up the heat! 
> 
> Happy Christmas to those of you who celebrate. See you all next Wednesday as usual.


	4. Breakfast and Baggage

Dany woke up with a start, wondering at the noise she'd just heard. There it was again - a loud shout of anguish - not from the street but here in her flat. _'Jon?'_

She was up out of bed in a flash, opening her door to find the dogs were also awake, looking at the door to the spare room in confusion. Dany pushed passed them to find Jon thrashing around in his bed, yelling incoherently, and she moved to sit on the edge, placing her hands on his bare shoulders and shaking him gently.

“Jon … wake up.”

He sat up abruptly, making her jump, his dark eyes open but unseeing, his face full of terror as he breathed heavily, gasping for air. He wasn't wearing a shirt but, for once, Dany was not gaping at him in lust but horror as she saw numerous vicious scars decorating his torso.

“No!” he yelled, still caught up in his nightmare.

“Jon, you're safe," she reassured him.  "Wake up now, I'm here. It's okay.”

His breath hitched and he shuddered before blinking, his head finally turning towards her. “Dany? What …?”

“It was just a nightmare,” she said. “It's all right.”

“Sorry I …”

“Hush.”

She lifted a hand up to stroke his face and then, to her surprise, Jon leant forwards and buried his head against her shoulder, shaking violently, and she wrapped her arms around him and held him close, thinking of nothing more than offering him comfort. He drew in another shuddering breath and she realised, to her dismay, that he was now crying. Instinct just took over then and she rocked him gently, one arm still around his shoulder, whilst her other hand stroked his hair.

“Ssh,” she said, leaning her head down to kiss the top of his head. “It’s all right.”

After a little while he pulled away, looking mortified. “Sorry.”

“Don't be silly. Can I get you something? Some water perhaps?” She started to rise but he caught her wrist again.

“No. Please don't go.”

“All right.”

“Stay?” He lifted the duvet, his eyes pleading. “I'll be good, I promise. I just don't … want to be alone after that.”

Dany had slipped into bed next to him before she'd really thought about what she was doing. It was a warm night and she was only wearing skimpy night shorts and a thin, strapped vest, and Jon was just in his boxers, but he obviously only wanting comforting and she was feeling a little hung over so she wasn’t especially concerned. As she lay down with her back to him, Jon moved closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against his chest whilst resting his head against hers. The move made her gasp, her own hands finding his forearms and revelling in the press of his body against hers.

“My Dany,” he mumbled, kissing her head, and she shuddered at the way he'd said her name and sudden thrill of excitement that it caused her. But her head was now pounding and that brief burst of desire was replaced with a lovely feeling of calm and rare security. She fell asleep almost immediately.

~o~0~o~

Dany half woke at some point in the early hours when Jon tightened his arms and pressed himself up against her again, obviously still mostly asleep. In much the same state herself she responded enthusiastically, wriggling her bottom and enjoying the feel of him hard against her.

“Oh ...” He froze. “S-sorry.”

“Don't be silly,” she mumbled, rolling over to face him with her eyes still closed, her breathing slowing down until she fell back asleep. Some time passed before she woke again, this time to the lovely sound of Jon whispering her name.

“Dany.” His voice sounded slightly strangled and she fluttered her eyes open to find his face quite close to hers and his eyes screwed shut as if in pain.

“What’s wrong?”

“C-can you … You need to adjust your top.” He swallowed hard. “Please.”

She glanced down and realised that one of her vest straps had slipped off her shoulder exposing quite a bit of her breasts. Her nipples had just about remained covered but, seeing just how thin this top was, it certainly didn't leave very much to the imagination.

“Oops,” she said, more amused than embarrassed. “You can open your eyes now.”

His gaze flicked back down and then quickly back up to her eyes, his cheeks now nicely pink. “It's a bit thin.”

“At least I'm wearing _something,”_ she retorted. _“_ Why should I cover up when you're tempting me with those lovely abs of yours?”

“Oh and ...” Jon pulled up the duvet, belatedly realising that she would now also have seen his scars.

“We've a free pass on past baggage, remember?”

He nodded, eyes down. “I'm sorry about last night and ah … this morning and ...”

“Stop it, Jon. You've nothing to be embarrassed about. I have nightmares too so I understand how that goes and as for the other ...” She grinned. “Well, I’ve certainly no complaints here.”

He chuckled. “A nice way to wake up?”

“Yes, and I gave you an interesting view just now too.”

He licked his lips. “A v _ery_ nice way to wake up.”

“And I'm curious as to how long you waited before you decided to ask me to move.”

“Dany! I … woke you up straight away, of course, and ...” Jon saw her smirk and relaxed, realising she was teasing him. “And I've completely forgotten what you looked like. No way is that gorgeous image of you seared onto my brain or anything.”

She giggled before they both turned serious and Jon leant towards her for a gentle kiss which inevitably refused to remain that way. Dany gasped, wriggling closer, one hand grabbing at his hair whilst his caressed her cheek. The kiss deepened further becoming gradually more desperate and Dany started to forget about last night's promise to take things slowly.

The buzz of Jon's phone saved them and he pulled away from her as if burnt as he turned to answer it.

“Davos, hi.” She could hear that his boss was speaking but it was far too quiet to make out the words. “Yes, of course. I'll be in soon.” Jon’s gaze turned to her and he winced. “Ah … yeah, I'm ... not at home this morning.” He pulled a face as the conversation continued. “Ah, I'm really not sure why you would think that.” Jon was still looking at her, now perhaps a little embarrassed. “Okay, I'll ask her.”

She raised an eyebrow at him as he finished the call. “A cat's been brought in and needs medical treatment. Davos is on his own there so wants me to take him to the emergency vet on the other side of town.”

“Of course. And?”

“He tried my home number and then, well, he assumed I was with you.”

“Did he now?”

“Well yes, and I am, of course, but ...” Jon shook his head. “Anyway, he asked if you'd like to come in.” His frown grew deeper. “Said to tell you it is always very quiet at this time on a Sunday.”

She smiled at that. “I told him what I told you. That I get anxious around crowds of people I don't know.”

“Okay.” He shrugged, getting out of bed, apparently perfectly aware that that was only part of the truth “Baggage. Right.”

Well, at least they'd come to some understanding about that, and at least Dany had got her kiss before Jon found out the rest. Well _two_ kisses and both as hot as hell. She smiled, stretching at the memory.

“ _Please_ don't do that.”

She giggled, realising she’d just given him another interesting view. “I'll go dress and then fix us some food?”

“Just coffee for me, please. We can grab breakfast on the way back from the vets. Better get the little mite some attention quickly.”

~o~0~o~

She handed Jon the mug and a banana as he came out of the room with his ruck-sac. “You should know better than to go out with no breakfast,” she scolded.

“Good point,” he agreed, taking it and then looking at her choice of clothes. “Nice hat.”

“You like?” she asked in a rather too bright voice.

She had often thought to dye her unique hair but could somehow never bring herself to do it, opting instead to pull it up under a large, floppy hat, especially on days when she couldn’t bring the dogs along with her. She was such a mass of contradictions. Was she proud of her past or not? Did she want anonymity or not? Her therapists had always had a field day with that part of her personality, although her current one was better than most. _'Never forget what you are for the world will not.'_

The shelter was close enough to walk to and Jon only lived on the other side of the park anyway, so hadn’t brought his car. Halfway there he took her hand and she smiled up at him, enjoying the comfort of the gesture. The quiet thrill of it.

“Ah, there you are, Jon,” Davos said as they entered. “Good morning, Miss Storm.”

“Dany,” she reminded him.

“Ah, yes, of course.” They both caught Jon’s brief frown at the exchange. “You’ll excuse me for making assumptions but, after seeing both of your reactions to your … disagreement, I began to suspect there was something else going on there and, well, I thought I’d try to help out.” He smiled brightly. “I believe it’s called Shipping, yes?”

Dany laughed. “I think that’s just for the TV shows.”

“Oh, really?” he replied, giving her a very pointed look.

She pulled a face. “Apparently.”

“Anyway,” he continued with a big smile. “I’m pleased to see that you two have made up.”

Dany glanced at Jon who just rolled his eyes. “So, where’s the patient?” he asked.

“Out the back and ready to go. He’s not critical, but the vet is expecting him within the hour.”

Jon nodded and took her hand again, leading her down a corridor and into one of the rooms. “That’s a cat?” he joked as he took note of the huge, white, long-haired cat staring forlornly at them from a large pet carrier.

“Wow,” Dany agreed. “What were you saying about ‘little mite’? He’s bigger than most dogs.”

“Not yours though.”

She laughed as Jon went to pick up the carrier, grumbling at the weight of it. The cat meowed in response, somehow managing to sound incredibly offended and Dany couldn’t help but laugh at both of their reactions.

There had been no real reason for her to come along this morning, she supposed, but it was a good excuse to spend longer in Jon’s company and get to see a little of the work he did here. The vet was a large, jolly fellow called Sam who obviously recognised her - his eyes widening as he glanced between the two of them - but, fortunately, he didn’t question Jon about her presence, keen to look after his patient and make sure the paper work was all signed.

Then it was just a matter of driving back - stopping at a road-side café for some late breakfast - before checking back in with Davos to see if Jon was needed for anything else.

“There you are, Snow!” Dany jumped as a young man strode in through the door and strode confidently over to the three of them who were talking quietly at the main desk. “Don’t you _ever_ look at your phone?”

Jon shrugged. “I saw you left a text this morning, yes, but Davos had an emergency case I needed to deal with.”

“Yes, because us getting kicked out of the flat because of overdue rent is not at all important.”

“What?” Jon suddenly seemed more concerned. “Did I not leave you the money?”

“No you didn’t, because you’ve been even more distracted and brooding than usual and ...” He glanced only briefly in her direction before smirking. “… and now I’m beginning to understand why, _and_ why you didn’t come home last night?”

Jon winced. “Ah, Gendry this is Dany.”

The young man looked closer and frowned. “Dany? Have we met before?”

“I don’t believe so,” she said, glancing nervously at Davos who winced.

“I’ve got some money on me now,” Jon said, taking out his wallet and giving Davos and Dany a chance to throw a warning glance at Gendry as the young man began to realise where he recognised her from. The two both very slowly shook their heads, hoping that he’d get the message and Gendry’s jaw dropped as he finally caught up.

“You have _got_ to be kidding me?” he said, now staring at her, aghast.

Jon shrugged as he handed over a few notes, assuming his friend was talking about the lack of money. “Sorry, I’ll stop off at the cash point on the way home and get the rest.”

Gendry shook his head, still struggling to come to terms with everything, and Dany held her breath, wondering what would happen now. “So … Dany ... have you known Jon for long?”

“Not very long, no," she replied.  "We’ve just started dating really.”

“Ah, right, and did you know that he’s never watched any sci-fi or fantasy stuff?”

She nodded. “Until last night.”

“Oh?”

“I watched ‘Lord of the Rings’,” Jon said, proudly.

“What, all of it?” Gendry asked, smirking

“First film, ah ...”

“Fellowship of the Ring?”

“Yeah.  It was better than I'd expected.”

“You need to get him to watch some TV shows next, Dany,” Gendry continued. “Like … Magical Menagerie, for example?”

“Yes,” she said, her eyes willing him to behave. “That one’s next on the list.”

“Well, I can’t wait to tell your cousin,” Gendry crowed, turning to Jon with a grin.

“You leave Arya out of this,” Jon complained.

“What? You expect me not to tell her that you’ve found a beautiful girlfriend who’s also managed to convert her heathen cousin to fantasy?”

“Although, to be fair,” Davos said, “she might not believe that it was the fantasy alone that converted him.”

“True, true.”

“You guys are impossible,” Jon complained. “I came south to avoid all of this teasing.”

“Just trying to help with the homesickness,” Gendry retorted. “Right, I’ll deal with this rent now and yes, Snow, I _do_ need the rest of it by tomorrow otherwise I won’t be able to afford to eat.”

“Here,” she said, getting out her purse. “How much does he owe?”

“Dany, no,” Jon complained.

“What? You said you’re going to the cash-point … you can pay me back then.”

“Another fifty,” Gendry said and then shrugged when Jon glared at him. “What? I’m sure you can find numerous, interesting ways to pay the girl back.” He smirked as she handed over the notes. “Thanks, Daenerys. Bye, Davos.”

Dany winced, not daring to look at Jon in case he questioned the name Gendry had casually called her by. “I really had better get back to the dogs.” She risked a look up at Jon then. “You coming with me?”

“I suppose I don’t need to go back home now," he replied.  "I’ll just go to the bank and then meet you back at your flat?”

“Nonsense, pay me back later.” She smirked, dropping her voice to a whisper. “One way or another.”

~o~0~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few other characters mentioned in passing but, as I said, this fic has a very small cast and will continue to focus on Dany and Jon. You might be interested to know that the next chapter is called 'Magical Menagerie' and will finally address most aspects of Dany's past. :) 
> 
> Send positive vibes please. Christmas and a nasty cold has left me exhausted and I've done zero new writing. Luckily I'm well ahead in both fics but my cushion in getting thinner and I will need to do some serious writing this week to get myself back to a position where I start feeling comfortable again.


	5. Magical Menagerie

They headed back to her flat, hand in hand, whilst Dany’s mind raced. She really had wanted to take both the romance and friendship side of their relationship slowly, but today had made her realise that that was _not_ going to be possible. One way or another, Jon was going to find out soon, and it would be a lot less painful if she were the one to tell him.

“Are you working tomorrow?” she asked him as they walked back.

“Aye, but not until late morning.” He sighed. “Better do a bit more promoting, I suppose. A few more ads at some local gyms?”

“Or in shop windows?”

He laughed. “I thought you didn’t agree with that?”

“Did I say I was offering?”

He smirked. “I thought earlier you were offering _something_.”

“Behave!” she said, laughing. “Anyway, the dogs missed out on their walk this morning and I usually take them out to the woods at the weekend.”

Jon looked at his watch. “Is there still time for that?”

“Perhaps? Would you like to come with us?”

He grinned. “Of course.”

They stopped off at the shop to get a few things for a picnic and Dany sent Jon upstairs to prepare the food whilst she got the dogs ready. Half and hour later and they were all in her shop van, driving off to the woods a couple of miles outside of town, the summer sun shining brightly and promising plenty more hours of daylight.

“Walking with these dragons is definitely easier than running,” Jon said, as they strode through the woodlands. Although it’s a shame you’ve not got a free hand I can hold.”

“Nothing simpler.” Dany briefly placed both leads in one hand, looped her right through Jon’s left arm and then took Drogon’s lead back, smiling brightly. “Now we just have to hope they don’t see a squirrel or we’re going to end up in a tangled pile on the ground.”

“Sounds fun.”

She frowned. “What?”

“Getting tangled up with you sounds like fun.” Jon was watching her carefully as if judging her reaction to his teasing. “Can I stay again tonight?”

Her stomach twisted beautifully on seeing the look he was now giving her. “I-I’m not sure. It’s what we were talking about last night - about wanting to take it slowly and get to know each other? - but, if we don’t know each other well enough to share our darkest secrets, should we really be … getting to know each other?”

He grinned. “I understand. This is all a bit … whirlwind, isn’t it?” She nodded. “And both Gendry and Davos have assumed that we’re seriously involved anyway.”

“So you think that we might as well, if they already believe it?”

He turned to give her another intense look. “No, Dany, that’s _not_ why I want to stay tonight.”

She held his gaze for a moment before nodding. “Okay, but we’re going to have to watch a DVD first.”

He frowned. “What? Why?”

“Trust me, Jon,” she said with a sigh, “you’re going to need to see this before you make any definite decisions about us.”

~o~0~o~

They stopped for a picnic at the far end of the wood before starting the long walk back to the van. Then they returned to Dany’s flat where they started to prepare a salad to eat in front of the television. Jon came behind her whilst she was washing the leaves, sliding his arms around her middle and pulling her back against him. It reminded of how she’s woken up this morning and she sighed, her whole body tingling as he bent down to kiss her neck.

“Jon, that’s not helping.”

“Is it not?”

“You are _so_ distracting.”

“Hmm.” He kissed her there again, biting gently and she gasped, suddenly pulling away. This was only going one way now and she wanted it so much. Wanted _him_ so much. But she couldn’t … not until …

“Food and TV first,” she insisted.

“What about the second film?”

“Next time,” she replied firmly. _‘If there is a next time.’_

They settled the food down on an occasional table, with lap trays to eat off, but began by watching an historical drama that was playing on television, one which they both happened to follow anyway. That worked better, Dany decided, as having food around when the DVD was playing would just make the whole situation far more awkward.

“Right,” she said once the plates were cleared away. “This one is called ‘Magical Menagerie’.”

“I’ve heard of it, of course,” Jon said. “The most popular fantasy show in the world.”

“And yet you haven’t seen a single episode.”

He shrugged. “I know nothing, remember?”

“What _do_ you know about it?”

“Lots of magical animals and people who ride them?”

“They’re called Riders, yes, but that’s not really what it means. There are people born with the power to bond with animals, you see. Some can physically ride the larger creatures but mostly it’s about getting into their heads and seeing through their eyes? To outsiders it seems as if the Riders control the animals but it’s far more of a two way street.” She shook her head. “Anyway, you don’t really need to know that before you start. It should all become obvious in the first couple of episodes.” She sighed loudly. “ _If_ you get that far.”

Her heart was beating fast as the prologue came up; a scene setting up the show, some important back-stories and the whole concept of the Riders. Then the credits and the earliest scenes, introducing the main family in the show. Dany glanced down at the counter. Another fifteen minutes or so until …

Jon was obviously aware of her nervousness. “Aren’t you watching?”

“I’m more curious about _your_ reactions,” she replied honestly, deciding to pause it for a minute and give her nerves a chance to calm.

“It’s interesting,” he said. “I already like this family and want to know more about them. They’re the heroes of the story, yes?”

“You could say that,” she replied, carefully, “although this isn’t really a white hat, black hat sort of world.”

He nodded. “Yes, I’m getting that impression already. And all their complaints about this southern faction? It seems to me that they’re making too much of a deal about how bad those other Riders are.”

Dany smiled at the comment, strangely pleased at how much he was already understanding. “Interesting,” was all she said though, pressing the button again. Just one more scene and then …

‘ _Here we go … God, I was so small!’_

The little girl had her back to the camera with her long intricately woven blonde plait falling down her back. The boys were walking past, quite unaware she was there, talking about the previous scene and how excited there were about what had happened. And then the girl turned.

“Really? You were able to Warg him when you were asleep? I could do that when I was five!”

Dany winced at both the sound of the high pitched voice and at Khaleesi’s condescending attitude. She glanced at Jon to see him smiling, amused by the interaction and then … a small frown. He leant forward slightly, his eyes widening as the camera panned in, just as Khaleesi laughed and Dany realised that that was all it would take. That was _her_ laugh and whether she was twelve or twenty-three there was absolutely no mistaking it.

Jon was now gaping, turning his head first towards her and then back to the screen. “Dany?”

She winced. “Ah, I’m a bitch, apparently.”

“What?” He grabbed the remote control out of her hand, rewinding slightly until her close up re-appeared before pressing pause. Dany picked up the DVD cover and handed it to him and Jon snatched that off her even more violently than he had the remote, scanning the front cover until he found her image, before quickly checking for the cast list.

“Daenerys? T-that’s what Gendry called you,” he realised.

“Yeah.”

“Daenerys Targaryen? I thought your name was Storm.”

She shook her head. “I’ve just taken my mother’s maiden name since it all ended. Hoped it might make it easier to keep a low profile.”

“But this show ran for years. How long were you in it for?”

“Most of it.” It was silly really but she had got in the habit of not telling people when she left because of spoilers but that was hardly important right now. “Five of the seven seasons.”

“Wow! How old were you here?”

“Twelve. Although Khaleesi is supposed to be ten.”

“Yes, you look about nine or ten.”

“The advantage of being small and cute.”

“You’ve not changed that much.” He pulled a face. “No, that sounds wrong now I say it.”

Dany giggled, pleased that Jon seemed to be taking it all far better than she’d expected. She turned to pick up the magazine she had ready, opening it to the article written during her last year on the show. “Here you go. I was about eighteen here and had just finished filming my last episode. Not that people knew that at the time.”

“You haven’t changed that much,” he said as he took it off her, his gaze darting between her and the picture. “Nice outfit though.”

She smirked. “Don’t expect any role playing.”

And then he actually smiled at her; open, bright and … happy? “I’m going out with a famous actress?”

“Huh! Except I’m not any more.”

“Child star problems?”

“Now I see what Gendry and your family mean. Does my name _really_ not ring any bells? I can understand why you hadn’t seen the show but surely all the news that came out about me later. The gossip columns?”

He frowned. “Not really into that celebrity stuff either.”

Dany dropped her head back against the sofa. “Great!” That meant she’d have to tell him about that soon too or he’d inevitably go online and discover it for himself. She really didn’t think she could deal with that right now though. “Let’s leave all of that for another day.”

“Okay.” He picked up the remote. “Let’s finish the episode.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and perhaps the next one. I was enjoying it anyway but now I have a new favourite character to watch.”

“Khaleesi’s your favourite?” she asked, sceptically.

“Of course. Who doesn’t love a small, cute, blonde girl with attitude?”

“Attitude? Okay, that’s one of the better things to have been said about her. Especially during season one.”

“Hush,” he said, his attention now back at the screen. “Let me watch!”

It wasn’t long before they reached the scene which introduced Khaleesi’s Familiar. The little girl was one of the few Riders to have ever bonded with a dragon and the only one in that world currently. “Ha!” Jon said, turning to her with a grin. “He’s called Drogon. _Now_ I get it!”

She smiled, finally relaxing back against the sofa so she could watch the screen more than watching Jon. His arm had found its way back around her shoulders and Dany swallowed hard, blinking back tears. She really couldn’t have expected it to have gone any better than this.

~o~0~o~

“What time is it?” Jon asked as episode three came to an end.

“Nearly midnight.”

“God, why is this show so addictive?”

“Probably because you’ve become obsessed with the bad girl.”

“Khaleesi is not bad,” he disagreed. “She’s just a bit spoilt and very misunderstood.”

Dany smiled brightly. “Well, you won’t find me arguing with that, but I think that’s enough for today.”

“And you know what happens and even how the whole thing ends?”

“Yes,” she replied smugly. “But don’t ask me. You’ll enjoy it much more if you go on the journey properly. Watch out for spoilers too and especially well meaning friends and family. I would suggest you don’t tell people you’re watching it but, well, with me around, that might be a bit difficult.”

“Yeah, it’s my cousin’s favourite show so ...” He sighed. “I’ll just have to watch it all very quickly then, won’t I?”

“Jon, there’s hours of it.”

“One more episode tonight?” he begged.

“No, not if you’re planning on walking home.”

He turned to her, his gaze dark and already beautifully familiar. “I wasn’t.”

“Spare room?” she asked with a slight smirk.

“Perhaps?” Then he leant forwards and kissed her, gently at first, but slowly deepening.

How had she managed to go so long without the feel of his lips on hers? How long had it been? Sixteen hours? That wasn’t long … and it was far too long. Dany gasped, grabbing at his hair, running her fingers through his curls, whilst his hands found her waist and his lips licked hers. She quickly got the hint, opening her mouth to allow him in and he sat up, gently pushing her onto her back on the sofa, one hand sliding up under her shirt and stroking her bare tummy whilst his thumb deliberately grazed the base of her breast.

“Jon?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m lying on stuff here.” She wriggled a bit, pulling the magazine, DVD cover and remote control from under her whilst Jon used the pause as an excuse to start unbuttoning her shirt. Whilst he was doing that, Dany began to pull his T-shirt out from his jeans, her own hands on his stomach, keen to explore those amazing muscles she’d seen last night. Jon had her shirt open already and stopped kissing her briefly, staring in awe, before dropping down to her neck and nuzzling her there. She threw her head back, gasping, still trying to pull up his shirt, but then he was kissing the top of her breasts just above the lace of her bra and she seemed unable to do anything other than lie back and gasp.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, moving back to kiss her lips. “I know there’s still so much we both need to talk about but … I’m not sure I want to do that right now. Right now I just want to keep tasting you.”

“Yes,” she gasped. “But we’ve got work tomorrow.”

“We’ll be tired then. Dany, I want you so much but … it’s more than that. I’m falling for you … hard and … God, you’re delicious!” And he bent down to kiss her lips again, his hands on her stomach, her breasts, caressing her face and then lower, fingers teasing under her leggings.

She tugged again at Jon’s T-shirt and he finally got the message, sitting up for just long enough to pull it over his head before returning to her, sucking harder at her neck as his fingers teased her bra strap off her shoulder. He was feeling heavy on her legs but Dany didn’t want him to stop, so she wriggled herself a bit under him, persuading him to take his weight off her just enough for her to move her legs - one on each side of his hips – and putting the two of them in a far more intimate position as a result.

Jon groaned at the new sensation, pressing his hips forwards as his lips followed her bra strap, lower and lower until …

Dany shouted his name as he took one nipple in his mouth, suckling, nibbling, and causing the most amazing sensations to vibrate through her body. She thought about suggesting they moved into her bedroom but really didn’t want to stop. Didn’t even want to pause. As his hands started to wriggle behind her back her own hand followed, quickly undoing the catch of her bra and impatiently throwing it on the floor. Jon sat up again and swore quietly as he took in the sight of her topless, before dropping down to kiss the breast which had been hidden from him until that point. His hands were now back to teasing under her leggings, slowly sliding down underneath and Dany keened as she arched her hips, allowing his finger to explore a little further. At the same time she fumbled with the fastening on his jeans, quickly unbuttoning them and sliding down the zip. She grabbed him through his boxers, delighting at the feel of him, and smirking as he quietly cursed again. _No going back now._

As if in response to this last thought, Jon moved, kneeling up on the sofa and licking his lips as he relished just how much of her was now exposed to him. Her leggings were currently sitting very low on her hips and he tried to pull them even further down but that wasn’t possible with her legs wrapped around him so he first sat her up and then encouraged her to stand with him so he could finally remove those lower layers. Then, once she was fully naked, he sat her back on the sofa and settled himself in-between her thighs.

“Jon? What are you … aah!”

The press of his lips between her legs had her gasping and he paused only to glance up at her, smirking as he saw her shocked look. “You’re so beautiful,” he declared. “And so I want to kiss you _everywhere_. Just trust me. I think you’ll enjoy this.”

And then he headed back down and Dany cried out, dropping her head back against the sofa as Jon lifted her legs over his shoulders and started to use his mouth and tongue on her in ways she’d never even imagined before.

“But, I can’t reach you down there,” she gasped, her hands now lightly tangled in his hair but desperately grabbing for more.

Jon looked up at her briefly from between her legs, curls falling over dark eyes which were now full of desire. “Patience, little one,” he said, licking his lips. “Just lie there and enjoy it. You can do your Warg riding later.”

~o~0~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my mind, the character of Khaleesi is a cross between GOT's Daenerys, Arya & Harry Potter's Draco Malfoy! A young, spoilt, badass child who becomes considerably more sympathetic as the years go by. I also had in my mind the stories that actors like Lena tell of the rude things people say to their faces when they're out and about.
> 
> Also, whilst writing this, the world of MM started to form in my head to the extend where I have started making notes for a new fic which will be a strange cross between an MM sequel and a Game of Thrones Canon Era AU.  You have been warned!


	6. Whirlwind and Wishlist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to ashleyfanfic for the lovely mood board she created for this fic. Great to see my lovely, fluffy dragons in all their glory!

Dany was gasping and disorientated as she came down from her high, lifting her head with effort and shocked at finding herself sprawled open legged and naked across her sofa. Jon was now getting to his feet, his gaze never once leaving her as he slowly undressed in front of her.

“Oh,” she said, licking her lips. “I’d like some of that.”

He chuckled. “I’m sure you would. Your bedroom now?”

“Yes!”

She took the lead then, pulling at his hand and leading the way, wanting nothing more than to have him inside her just as soon as possible. She lay down on the bed as Jon fiddled with a foil wrapper, pleased that he had his wits about him at least, because, after what he’d just done to her on the sofa, she was most definitely not thinking straight. She was obviously more than ready for him now but Jon didn’t appear to be in any hurry, lying down next to her and holding her close as he kissed her lips and let his hands slowly explore her body. After several minutes of this beautiful torture, he began to move his hands between her legs to caress her with his fingers and Dany almost growled at his annoying selflessness. There no was no way was she going to come again without him, so she sat up abruptly, rolled him over and straddled him, taking full advantage of his surprise at the move and dropping down on him before he had a chance to take back control.

“Yes!” That was more like it. It felt wonderful to have him inside of her. How long had it been? Years … but never once had it felt this good.

“God, Dany, you’re going to have to slow down,” Jon gasped as he gripped her hips, his eyes squeezed tight.

She smirked. “Why would I want to do that?”

“Because … I want to make this last.”

“Ah, but what about what _I_ want?” She paused for a moment, allowing him just a few seconds to catch his breath and register her question.

“W-what do you want?”

She started to move again. “I want to watch you come undone, Jon.” She sped up a bit. “See you lose control.” Then she started to drop down hard on him, hands braced on his shoulders. “And then I want to hear you scream my name.”

He growled then, flipping her over and holding both wrists above her head in one hand whilst lifting her right leg high with the other so he could thrust more deeply, and the angle he managed to find had _her_ crying out instead, already close to coming again. Jon may not have screamed her name but the way he moaned and gasped it over and over again - almost sobbing at the end - was good enough for her, and how on earth could something so rough and animalistic feel like the most romantic love making she’d ever experienced?

“Are you okay,” Jon mumbled in her ear afterwards, still inside her. “Did I hurt you?”

“Anything but,” she said. “I really needed that.” She turned her head slightly and grinned at him. “So did you, I think.”

“You’ve been so uncertain about all of this - nervous almost - and so I had no idea that you would be ...”

“What?”

He smirked. “Such a dragon in bed.”

She gently hit him on the arm. “Says you. Most of that was just the fear of letting go and of getting involved in the first place but, after what you did to me on that sofa … Well, let’s just say there’s no putting the dragon back in the egg now.”

He laughed on recognising the quote from the show. “Good to know.” He finally rolled off her, shuffling a bit under the covers before pulling her close against him but she noticed his sudden frown as she started to drop her head to his shoulder.

“What is it?”

“I’m just still trying to come to terms with how famous you are and … that magazine article …?”

“Yes?”

“There’d be a lot of males in this world who would be highly jealous of me now, I think?”

Strangely he didn’t appear to be bragging and it made her smile. “Does that bother you?”

He raised an eyebrow. “It’s a bit odd, especially seeing I’ve only watched your character as a little girl.”

“Yeah, there were a few issues about that when I was about fifteen or so. Lots of headlines at red carpet events about how sexy I was becoming. You know, things that were rarely said about my male co-stars of the same age?”

He nodded. “That must have been difficult.”

“One of the many things,” she scoffed.

He sighed. “We really do have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”

“Yes.” She allowed her fingers to trace a couple of his scars. “But either it’s your turn now or we sleep.”

He nodded. “Fair enough.” There was a very long pause and for a moment Dany wasn’t sure which option he had chosen. “I’m ex-military.”

“Oh …” She stroked another scar lower down, using it as an excuse to caress the well developed muscles down there too and enjoying the way his breath hitched at the move. “You saw active service then?”

“Yes. In Afghanistan.”

“Hence the nightmares?”

“I ...” He frowned, obviously trying to find the words.

“It’s fine, Jon, you don’t have to tell me. We may have rushed into this but, if it lasts, we’ll have plenty of time to share our dark pasts and, if it doesn’t then … Well, it won’t matter anyway.”

He pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. “I really don’t deserve you.”

“Funny,” she replied, nuzzling against his shoulder. “I was thinking much the same thing about you.”

~o~0~o~

Dany was reliving the worst day of her life. Her reoccurring nightmare. That time when one ‘joke’ question from one idiot journalist on a red carpet had managed to instantly knock down every wall she had so carefully built up. The time when she had suddenly snapped, screamed and sworn at the top of her lungs in front of a huge crowd of fans and media. A total, devastating breakdown with the whole world watching on.

She had relived it for so many years over so many nights. Sometimes she would wake up sobbing, whilst at other times her dogs would come to her rescue in her dreams, bounding onto the red carpet to growl at the crowd, before returning to lick her until everyone and everything in the nightmare had faded away. Tonight, however, Dany’s saviour came in the form of Jon; black curls dancing as he stepped out in front of her - medieval style sword drawn - and the anger on his face terrifying to behold.

“How dare you!” he screamed at the journalists. “She’s just a child and this is all _your_ fault, not hers. Leave her alone.”

Then he swept her up in his arms and, suddenly, she was no longer in front of the cameras but safe in her shop with him and the dogs. “Jon ...” she gasped. “You came to save me.”

“Hush, Dany ...”

He kissed her on the top of the head and she reached for him, hands tangling in his hair as she pressed her lips against his. His hands moved over her skin, soothing her and she only then became aware of being naked in bed with him. She reached out for him under the covers, enjoying the feel of his skin and his lips as they moved temptingly against hers.

The awareness came to her slowly and it was some time before she fully understood that the dream had gone and she and Jon were in her bed after their first proper night together. His hand was now moving down to her stomach and then slightly lower before halting.

“You were having a nightmare,” he said, “so I really shouldn’t take advantage but the way you said my name then ...”

Dany still wasn’t entirely certain she was awake yet, which was a familiar state to her after one of her vivid nightmares, where she would keep herself in a strange half-dream state to protect herself from both the sleeping and waking horrors she would inevitably encounter. She seemed unable to find the words to reassure Jon right now through, instead taking a hold of his hand and lowering it further, opening her legs and inviting him to comfort her in a way he quite obviously wasn’t expecting.

He chuckled, kissing her lips, her neck and then travelling down to her breasts whilst his fingers got to work and Dany only felt she had truly woken up when he had finally driven her over the edge.

“Hmm,” he mumbled, now back to nuzzling her neck. “I admit that’s a most unusual way to want to be comforted after a nightmare.”

“You saved me, my handsome knight,” she said, ducking down to kiss his lips whilst her hands now moved between _his_ legs. “And so now it’s time for you to collect your reward.”

“What did _I_ do?”

“Protected me. Loved me. Made me feel safe.”

“You’re still not yourself, Dany,” he whispered, his voice full of concern. “Talk to me.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m sorry. I just get a bit like that after one of those nightmares.” She kissed him again. “We do need to get up soon but I was perfectly serious about taking care of you.”

He laughed. “It can wait.”

“No. I want to ride you again, but all the way to the end this time.”

He swallowed hard as she knelt up and straddled him. “Dany ...”

“Yeah and whilst I’m riding you, Jon, I want you to list all the different ways we’re going to do this over the next few days. I want you to tell me every single one of your fantasies.”

“Oh … God ...”

~o~0~o~

Dany was grateful that Monday was so quiet because she was tired and sore after her night - and morning - with Jon and even two strong cups of coffee had done nothing to wake her up.

And it wasn’t even ten o’clock yet.

Her phone buzzed with a text message and she smiled as she saw Jon’s name on the screen.

‘ _I’m exhausted,’_ he’d written.

‘ _You’re welcome.’_

‘ _Missing you already. Sure I can’t come around tonight?’_

‘ _You’re exhausted, remember?’_

‘ _True. Wear a skirt Wednesday.’_

‘ _Why?’_

‘ _I want to make a start on my list.’_

She frowned, trying to work out what he was implying when the screen flashed to show an incoming call. She rolled her eyes and picked it up.

“Hi, Missandei.”

“Hi yourself. Well, girl, I see why you’ve been all flustered recently. Very nice. Especially in that running gear.”

Dany grinned, biting her lip to prevent herself from replying with the obvious, _‘_ _A_ _nd out of it.’_ “Yeah.”

“And … how was the run? What happened afterwards? And why did you not call me back yesterday? Spill!”

“He stayed for pizza on Saturday and I then got him to watch Fellowship of the Ring.”

“Oh, I see. Break him in gradually?”

“Yes, that was the idea and then, last night, we watched MM.”

She gasped. “Oh, you didn’t? What happened?”

“He took it pretty well, considering.”

“I’m surprised you went for that so early.”

“I had to really,” Dany explained. “We met his friend who recognised me and then, well, it became obvious that I’m not going to be able to go out anywhere with him without someone making a comment so I thought I should get it out in the open.”

“That’s good. So, he took it well, you said. And ...”

She glared at the phone. “And what, Missi?”

“You really have lost your knack for acting, you know that, right? I can hear it in your voice?”

“What?”

“Smugness, my dear.”

Dany rolled her eyes again. “You’re imagining it.”

“Really? So you’re not going to share all the gossip with your best friend tonight?”

“Not tonight, no.”

“What, you’re seeing him again? Isn’t that a bit keen?”

“No, I’m seeing him on Wednesday. He wants to watch some more episodes.”

“Ah, and so tonight you both need to catch up on your sleep?”

“Yes, I mean … Missandei, will you stop giggling.”

“Well, I need to book your time at some point, because my love life’s going nowhere and it looks like I’ll need to live vicariously through you for a while.”

“Have I told you recently how much I hate you?”

~o~0~o~

Dany opened the door to Jon dressed in a sleeveless shirt and jogging bottoms and looking absolutely delicious. He looked her up and down and smirked.

“Nice skirt.”

She still wasn’t quite sure which of the various things they had ‘discussed’ the other night was on his mind but she was certainly keen to find out. Jon circled around her slowly before moving forwards. Prowling.

“I’ve missed you,” he said, stalking even closer until she found her back against the wall.

“I’ve missed you too,” she confessed. “How long has it been?”

“Thirty four hours? Thirty five?” He placed a hand on the wall behind her, pining her in.

“That long?” she gasped, licking her lips as his head moved lower, teasing her. “Don’t you want to come upstairs?”

“I did want to watch some more episodes, of course, but right now ...” And then he pounced, kissing her furiously as he pushed her firmly against the wall.

She threw her arms around his neck. “Upstairs … would be better,” she gasped as he lifted one of her legs and rolled himself up against her.

“Yeah … but I’m not sure we’re going to make it that far.”

She hit him lightly on the arm. “I am not doing it up against the wall in this dank hallway.”

“Okay,” he mumbled. “Which wall would you prefer?”

“Jon!”

“I seem to recall that one being at the top of my list on Monday when you asked.”

“Yeah, I remember now.” She pushed at his shoulders and then took his hand. “Upstairs.”

They’d barely got inside the living room when he pounced again, pushing her against the new wall and bunching up her long skirt until his fingers found her bare leg. Dany gasped, her head falling back against the wall as Jon suckled at her neck and slid both hands slowly up towards her hips.

She smirked as he pulled away suddenly, looking at her in shock. “I couldn’t quite remember your list earlier,” she said, “but I guessed your plan would be easier if I wasn’t wearing underwear.”

“Such a bad dragon,” he mumbled, kissing her again as his hands began to caress her.

“Says you. I’m not the one who barely made it through the door before pushing me up against a wall.”

She slid her own hands to the waistband of his trousers, pulling them down just far enough to find what she needed and Jon pulled her left leg up high on his hip at the same time, positioning himself but then pausing, smirking at her. “If you want to just cuddle on the sofa or undress in bed, you only have to say.”

She wriggled against him as she adjusted her grip more firmly on his shoulder. “I would hate to ruin your fantasy, Jon.”

“Hmm.” He started to push in tantalisingly slowly and at first Dany thought he was simply getting used to the position but soon realised he was looking at her closely and judging her reaction.

“Jon ...”

“Slow and gentle or fast and hard?” he asked.

“Slow, I dare you,” she said. “You’ll give up long before I do. Aah.” It felt wonderful; the long, slow drag of it, the slight discomfort of her back up against the wall and her leg being pulled up even higher, simply adding to the sensations. Jon groaned as he pulled back out again tortuously slowly. “You can admit defeat if you want,” she teased. “I promise I won’t hold it against you.”

“Like hell you won’t,” he growled, lowering his head to kiss her whilst his free hand found its way back under her skirt and began caressing her.

“Isn’t that cheating?” she gasped.

“You want me to stop?”

“No.”

“You want me to go faster?”

She opened her eyes to find him gazing at her, eyes full of desire, “No …?” 

“Dany?” he asked, biting back a smile, and soon she was smirking in reply, pressing her hands against his bare backside and pushing him deep inside her, giving him permission to speed up. “Oh, thank God for that,” Jon mumbled, adjusting his feet and her leg slightly before moving faster and harder and Dany gasped at the sudden new set of sensations as she was pressed more firmly against the wall and very quickly tipped over the edge.

~o~0~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems I'm getting a reputation for leaving you all hanging. I'm afraid I do like my chapter hooks - oops! 
> 
> So, as an apology ... Wednesday seemed like a good publishing day for this back in November when I had the day off but now I'm working and it's been a bit hectic getting this one ready today. Soooo, seeing I've roughly written ALL of this story now, I'll have a go at moving HBD forward to Mondays (Silent Declarations still out on Sundays) I promise you've find out more about Jon's past very soon.
> 
> Can I also say that the Golden Globes this weekend was SUCH a source of inspiration for writing some of the ending. In fact, I've enjoyed including a lot of things I've heard various actors discuss in this story, many of which are in this chapter.


	7. Armour and Amour

“How long was that list?” Dany gasped, shifting slightly due to the awkward position she was still in against the wall.

Jon’s head was on her shoulder, his breathing heavy as he clung to her. “We can write it down, if you like. _When_ I can move.”

“You’d better move soon, because I can’t stay like this for much longer.”

He raised his head to look at her and she gasped at the sight of him, all flustered and hot and … gorgeous. “Sorry,” he said with not a hint of apology in his tone, gently lowering her leg whilst she winced and rubbed at her thigh. “I was going to lift you up but you’re so nicely flexible there didn’t seem to be any point.”

“Not quite as flexible as I’d thought,” she grumbled.

“Sorry. I’ll kiss it all better later.”

“Hmm.” She grabbed at his neck, pulling him down and kissing him passionately.

“Don’t tempt me,” he complained. “I want to watch episode four.”

“Fine, you make a start to that and I’ll get us some food.”

He frowned. “But, don’t you want to watch.”

“I’ve not only seen it before I’ve been _in_ it, remember?” She rolled her eyes. “It’s just a salad anyway, so I won’t miss much.”

A quick visit to the bathroom and then to the kitchen and it wasn’t long before she was back on the sofa watching Jon watching the show as they both tucked into the salad. After the episode Jon looked hungrily between her and the screen and she laughed, understanding his dilemma.

“Magical Menagerie or The List?” she said. “Decisions, decisions.”

“Both,” he decided. “One more episode and then bed.”

“What have you got in mind tonight?” she asked.

“A surprise,” he replied, smirking. “But I’m quietly confident that you’ll approve.”

~o~0~o~

“We definitely need to start writing this list down,” Dany said as they lay in bed later, her fingers stroking lazy circles around Jon’s scars. “Definitely wouldn’t mind revisiting some of these later.”

“Good idea,” he replied, pulling her a little closer. “Sleepy?”

“A little.”

“Only I’m ready to talk a bit … if you don’t mind?”

She looked up at Jon briefly but his gaze was on the ceiling and she quickly got the hint, snuggling down against his chest and understanding that this would be easier for him without eye contact. “Okay.”

He sighed loudly before beginning. “The Powers That Be had ordered this building destroyed, you see. It was an important military target but, unfortunately, the enemy heard about the plan and did what they often do and housed a bunch of locals in there, promising them they’d be safe from us. And we only found out about _that_ half an hour before the attack was due, and quickly made the decision to rush in and rescue them.” He sighed again, but Dany didn’t interrupt, simply snuggling a little closer. “Communication over there was shit and the attack ended up happening ten minutes early when my unit were still inside the building. Friendly fire, they called it.” He scoffed. “Bloody stupid name.”

“You survived though?”

She felt him nod against her head. “I was the only soldier who did and only because I’d run outside after a child who’d gone the wrong way. Was heading back when the whole building went up and … next thing I remember was waking up in a camp hospital feeling as if my whole chest had exploded.”

She traced a few of the scars with gentle fingers. “When was this?”

“Two years ago? Longer. Two and a half.” His next sigh was slow and heavy. “Part of me wanted to go back, despite everything but … well, not fit for duty and all that.”

“I can imagine.”

He turned to look at her slowly, that deep, dark stare firmly back in place - the one she used to struggle to interpret. “You’re the only one I’ve really talked to about it, you know? Apart from my therapists. I do love my family but they were … well, treading on eggshells around me, I suppose, and it got … weird sometimes. That was the main reason I decided to move down here, really, deciding to stay with a friend of the family who is also ex military and so knows how to treat me.”

“Gendry? I see. And yes, as good as it is to talk to therapists who don’t know you personally, it does also help to have that one person who instinctively knows how to give you the space you need. For me, that’s Missi.”

“That’s good,” he said. “She seems nice and, yes, you’re right, although I was a far-too-typical northern male and took a _long_ time to fully embrace the idea of counselling.”

“I can understand that. My current one is especially good. A bit unconventional perhaps, but better than the others.” It was Dany’s way of saying ‘me too’, as she thought that might help Jon feel less awkward about his confession. She knew it was still something that wasn’t entirely accepted in this country - stiff upper lip and all that.

“Struggled to get on with the northern ones but the one here is better,” he mumbled before laughing, still sounding a little embarrassed. “How is it I can talk to you about these things so easily?”

“I’m pleased that you can.” She sighed. “And I would love to be able to chose who I can and cannot share _my_ story with but, honestly, you could just go on the internet and find out the whole sorry tale.”

“I’d rather hear it from you,” Jon said. “If you want to, that is.”

“I do and ... I might as well tell you some of it now because then I’ll need comforting afterwards and you already know how I prefer _that_ to be done.”

He laughed gently at her poor joke, pulling her closer and kissing her head. “I love you, Dany.” She looked up, shocked at his sudden declaration, and he smiled shyly, gently kissing her on the lips. “I know you thought seeing you on that show would change my mind about having a relationship with you, but that was never going to happen and this won’t either. Tell me anything you want and I’ll still be here with you afterwards, I promise.”

~o~0~o~

Dany had quickly fallen asleep after being ‘comforted’ and woke from a deep sleep to see Jon sitting up in bed with his phone in his hands.

“Who are you texting?”

“I’m not.” He smirked. “I’m making a start on our list.”

“Ooh, let’s see.” She sat up to read it whilst Jon’s head dropped down to her neck, gently kissing her there before slowly starting to travel downwards.

“Why have you not got a DVD player in here?” he said. “I want to keep doing this _and_ watch the show.”

“We’ll have to move onto the sofa next door then,” she said, “or … hang on … she took the phone off him and started typing. Jon looked up at her and his eyes widened.

“T-that’s a very ... interesting idea.”

“You think it would work?”

He smirked at her. “It’s a great addition to the list, Dany, but I’m not going to be able to do any of these _and_ focus on the show at the same time.”

~o~0~o~

“You really get so-called fans hurling abuse at you because of Khaleesi?” Jon asked her after episode six, when her character had made a particularly poor decision. They were cuddled up naked on the sofa, wrapped only in a large sheet, each trying not to let the other distract them from the show.

“Yeah and often a lot worse than you’ve heard so far.”

“How can they not get that you’re the actress and … that she’s a child anyway?” Jon continued.

“People take the show to heart, as you're beginning to realise. I suppose it’s the idea of escapism – sometimes the line between fact and fiction gets blurred.”

“I still say it’s madness, though,” Jon said. “And I still like Khaleesi despite her poor choices.”

“Ah, but you’re biased.”

He grinned. “Almost certainly.” There was a long, comfortable pause. “I understand that you don’t want to attend, but would you like to come with me tomorrow to help out with the organisation for this charity event?”

“I ... I’m not sure. How many will be there?”

“Just me, Davos and a couple of elderly staff members.  Not the type who are likely to be huge fans.”

“You say that but you do know Davos recognised me straight away?”

“Well, I did wonder.”

“And asked me for my autograph?”

“What? Really?”

She nodded. “The show was so popular because so many different types of people fell in love with it.” She sighed. “But, if there are only a few people and if I can bring the dogs along then, yes, I’d love to help out and spend more time with you, of course.”

He bent over to kiss her gently. “Thank you.”

~o~0~o~

Dany was terrified. She knew there was no reason to be, really. She was just going to the animal shelter with Jon and a few volunteers to talk about the event but it was beginning to dawn on her that having a boyfriend was going to mean the end to her life of solitude. She knew Jon wouldn’t force her to go out or meet people she didn’t want to, but it was quickly becoming apparent that if this relationship _did_ continue - and she really wanted it to - then they were both going to have to make a lot of adjustments. She may have pulled away from the spotlight, but once it was known that she had a boyfriend then it was very likely the media attention would resurface.

She tensed and Jon noticed immediately, turning towards her. “You don’t have to come in.”

She shook her head. “I-it’s fine.”

“And I’m here. I’ll look after you.”

“I know you will and … I _can_ do this. I just need to … put on my mental armour.”

Jon smiled. “Sounds like something my therapist would say.”

Those in the hall certainly showed an interest in Dany when she arrived but that was mainly because she had arrived on Jon’s arm and the elderly volunteers – who apparently _didn’t_ watch the show - all seemed delighted that he had brought his new girlfriend along to meet them. Then, of course, she mentioned the dogs she’d left outside and that helped her to relax even more as everyone was desperate to see them too.

After that it became a little easier and Dany started by quietly following Jon around or talking to Davos until, gradually, she began to make a few suggestions, including the idea of an auction for certain donated items and even offering a few things from her own shop.

“Are you sure?” Jon asked her.

“I have the money,” she said, pulling a face.

“I’m sure but ...”

She laughed. “And you probably have no idea how much, do you?”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“One thing that actually _did_ work out for me. My family may have had ridiculously high expectations and not given me any actual love, but they did make absolutely certain they got a good deal for me.” He just nodded, obviously still not understanding. “So, what I’m saying is … your girlfriend is both very famous _and_ very rich.”

He pulled a face. “As if either of those things are important to me.”

She stepped on tiptoes to kiss him gently on the lips, quite forgetting that they weren’t alone. “And that’s the only reason I told you. Stop worrying. I thought you knew me well enough to know I don’t easily get pushed into things.”

“Unless it’s your dogs doing the pushing.”

“Well, yes, Drogon has a lot to answer for, doesn’t he?”

Jon nodded. “Him and Davos between them.”

“True. How are you for caterers?”

“I’m not sure we were going to worry too much about that?”

“Only I could ask Missandei.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, see if her company want the publicity and an event like this is definitely something _she_ would like to attend. Perhaps she could be your plus one?”

He looked at her suspiciously. “You’re not setting me up with your best friend, are you?”

Dany just laughed, thinking it would actually be a good idea for the two of them to attend the event together. She was confident the pair would get along whilst not being each other’s type romantically.

“Oh dear,” she said, as her mind continued along that line of thought. “I’m going to have to chase away so many girls when I’m with you, aren’t I?”

He gave her a stern look. “Says you.”

She moved closer to him. “Just give them _that_ look and they wouldn’t dare.”

“What look?”

“That glower. It would terrify most people.”

“Not you?”

She smirked. “Turns me on, actually.” Then she realised what she was doing and her eyes widened in horror.

“What? What is it, Dany?”

“I can’t believe I’m flirting with you in public … I … I promised to _never_ do that.” She glared at him. “What are you doing to me, Jon Snow?”

“It’s fine, don’t worry. We’re all friends here.”

“Perhaps, but it really isn’t a habit I should be getting into.”

“You’re doing great,” he said, “and being really brave.”

She scoffed. “Brave. Yet far too afraid to attend this event with you.”

“I know what it’s like to deal with fear and there’s no shame in it. What matters is how we face it.”

“What?” She stared at him. “Where did you get _that_ from?”

He shrugged, avoiding her gaze. “My therapist.”

“Never forget what you are ...” she began, looking at Jon closely and waiting until he worked it out.

“... because the rest of the world will not … Oh! You see Tyrion Lannister too?”

“Huh, the problem of being in a small town,” she complained. “Well, that could get … interesting when the discussion gets around to why I’ve started to get into charity work.”

“Or he asks me what happened with the girl I had the hopeless crush on.”

Dany raised her eyebrows. “Hopeless?”

“It seemed like it last week, yes.”

She winced. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I understand now.”

She nodded. “But helping with this event appeals to me, especially seeing I got the dogs from here and that I’m a local. I think it’s a good way of putting a toe back in the water without really having to throw myself into the deep end?”

“That’s good,” Jon said. “But there’s no rush, right? Take it nice and slowly?”

“Yes.”

“And perhaps you’ll be ready to attend with me if we do another one next year.”

“Next year?” She was shocked at the thought, but not about the idea of the event itself.

“Or the year after?” he continued, showing no sign that he understood how presumptuous he was being. Then he turned away without a further word to go and talk with Davos.

Dany breathed out, suddenly nervous at how casually Jon was talking about the two of them doing things together in the future. About _having_ a future. She’d never dared to think that before about anyone and they’d really only just met and ...

She shook her head and headed over to check on the dogs, trying not to let the thought affect her.

~o~0~o~

Missandei came around the following evening and the two girls had fun fussing the dogs, drinking wine and, perhaps inevitably, talking about Jon. Her friend seemed delighted on hearing that Dany had helped with the planning of the charity event and had even met a bunch of new people in the process.

“It’s easier with Jon there,” Dany admitted. "I feel ... safer."

“Your Knight in Shining Armour?” she asked slyly.

“Actually, I dreamt he rescued me during my reoccurring nightmare,” she remembered. “He wasn’t in armour, exactly, but he did have this sword and ...” She grinned. “Perhaps it’s because he’s ex-military and so protective of me generally but, yes, I don’t feel quite so vulnerable when he’s around.”

Missi nodded. “I imagine he could look quite intimidating if he wants to, despite his size.”

“It’s true,” Dany agreed. “This guy called out something rude in the park the other day and … you should have seen Jon’s reaction. I honestly thought he was going to kill the man.” Missandei laughed. “What?”

“God, you are _so_ smitten, aren’t you?”

She smiled, suddenly not at all embarrassed. “Totally.”

“And even though I’ve only met him briefly, I thoroughly approve of this Jon Snow. I can’t believe how much he’s been able to help you already.”

Dany nodded. “I think that’s going both ways. Would _you_ go along to the charity event, Missi? I wouldn’t mind.”

“And you’d trust me with him?”

“Of course I would.”

She smiled. “Good to know and I’ll go as a caterer, or as your aide, but not as your boyfriend’s plus one.”

“Why not?”

Missandei gave her a long look. “Because _you_ need to attend it with him.”

Dany shook her head, furiously. “I-I can’t. It’s taking place in a large hotel with local business people and even some press attending. I … I really couldn’t.”

Her friend sighed and nodded. “I understand. Perhaps next time.”

She frowned. “Jon said that too. Perhaps next year … or the year after.”

“And ..?”

“It felt scary - the assumption we’d still be together - but also ...” She shook his head. “He’s serious about me, Missi and I think I’m serious about him too but … I just can’t see how this can go forwards. I don’t want to put Jon through all of this because he’s got enough issues of his own and, if we continue, then he’s going to start getting attention too. You know, being connected with me?”

“And what has he said about that?”

She winced. “Well, we’ve not really spoken about it as such but ...” Missi raised an eyebrow and Dany sighed loudly. “Yes, there’s still so much to talk about, I know, but this is all going so quickly and … it’s terrifying.”

Missandei nodded sagely. “Falling in love generally is.”

~o~0~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, some news for you. I've started work on a new Jonerys fic called 'Warg Riders'. It's Canon Era AU and is a cross between Game of Thrones and a sequel to Magical Menagerie! Plotting and planning this has been so TRIPPY you have no idea! A fic based on the sequel of a fictional TV show that Daenerys starred in but with all the standard GOT characters and locations. :P
> 
> As usual I'll want to make sure I'm comfortably ahead before I start sharing and I have another Jonerys Canon Era AU in early planning too. I'm really hoping to start publishing WR soon after this one is finished. Keep an eye on my profile page for up-to-date info.


	8. Love and Limelight

There were far too many people. They were everywhere - surrounding her, talking and pointing - and Dany ran away as quickly as she could, opening the door to a small storeroom and hiding inside; sitting down on the floor and hugging her knees to her chest, hoping no-one would find her.

Time passed, her heart-rate eased and soon she began to feel a little cold and hungry. There was still plenty of noise outside but now she could hear one voice clearly sounding through the din. Jon’s voice.

“Dany? Dany, my love. Where are you?”

She managed to lift her head but, when she tried to call out, she found herself unable to make any sound. _‘Jon’_ she tried to shout. _‘I’m here!’_ But still she was unable to speak or move, her whole body feeling heavy and unresponsive as she desperately tried to force her body into action.

‘ _I don’t want to stay here,’_ she cried. _‘I want to be with Jon out there.’_

‘ _But_ they’re _all out there_ _too_ _,’_ another voice cautioned. _‘All the people and the cameras and … your old life come back to haunt you.’_

‘ _But I can’t stay here. If I stay here I’m all alone.’_ Dany was feeling weaker and so tired and she somehow knew that falling asleep would mean she would disappear forever. ‘ _I need to move. I need to get up. I need to get to Jon.’_ But it was more than that.

“I need Jon. I need him in my life.”

And, with that thought, she was finally able to move. The door opened and her beautiful boyfriend was standing there waiting for her.

“Dany?” he asked, concerned.

“Jon. Please help me.”

“Dany … wake up.”

And she did, gasping for air, clenching and unclenching her fists, relieved to no longer be frozen. “Jon ...” she gasped, looking around, trying to reassure herself that she was safe here in bed with him by her side.

“Are you all right?”

She turned to look at him, nodding slowly as she watched his deep, dark eyes staring at her. “I love you,” she said and his concerned stare instantly melted away.

“Oh, Dany.” He pulled her closer, kissing her gently.

“I need to …” She frowned, trying to put her dream into words. Trying to find the best way to explain. “I think I have to go to this charity event of yours.”

He frowned. “You don’t have to.”

She nodded slowly. “I-I think I do. That nightmare means … I think I _have_ to, but only if you’re with me.”

“Of course,” he said, moving to gently kiss her again. ”You know I’ll look after you.”

“Yes,” she said, her confidence growing. “You can be my bodyguard. That glower of yours should put off anyone from being too rude.”

He frowned. “I thought I’d be going as your boyfriend but ...” He blinked, suddenly understanding. “Oh, but you’re saying that that would give you the wrong sort of attention?”

She nodded. “And put the spotlight on you too. I think it’ll be easier if we do it that way … for now. Until we’re both used to the idea.”

He looked at her closely, as if trying to convince himself that she was entirely recovered from her nightmare. “If you think it’s for the best and _if_ you’re really sure you want to do this?”

She nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it since my conversation with Missi last night but the nightmare confirmed it really.”

He nodded, his hand trailing lower and the smallest smile playing on his lips. “And so tell me, my love, do you now need comforting after that?”

~o~0~o~

Dany continued to change her mind back and forth as to whether she should attend the event even though, deep down, she knew the decision had been made and that she _had_ to go because her nightmare had had some real truth to it. She knew it was telling her that hiding away for the rest of her life was not the way forward and that she would only be happy once she had finally faced up to her fears.

And everyone had agreed, despite their concern about whether she was truly ready. Missandei, Jon, Davos and Tyrion had all agreed that it was the right way forward and that attending a charity event was a good compromise; an opportunity for Daenerys to be seen in public with the emphasis being on the charity rather than on her.

Missi had helped her with her clothes choice; a black dress with an exceptionally low cut bodice and red accessories; lipstick, necklace, rings and high gladiator heels laced up her calves. Jon’s jaw had almost hit the floor when he’d opened the door to collect her and she would have been amused at his frustration at not being able to kiss her and mess up her lipstick, if he hadn’t looked so sexy in his all-black suit and that she was under exactly the same restrictions.

“Thank you, Jon,” she said simply as they reached the hotel lobby. “Thank you for giving me the courage and supporting me and ...” Her lips twitched. “… for everything else.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied, his dark gaze dropping downwards. “How is that dress even staying up?”

“Magic?” she suggested with a wink.

“This is going to be a very long night,” he grumbled, although there was a slight sparkle in his eyes too. “But I am looking forward to receiving my pay for this body-guarding work later.”

She gave him an affectionate warning look. “Okay, no more teasing from either of us. This is going to be difficult enough for all sorts of reasons.”

He nodded, now fully serious. “I understand.”

Dany had already given Davos permission to mention his ‘surprise celebrity guest’ during his opening talk, even though she didn’t want to be formally announced. Instead she waited in a side room with Jon and Missandei until the function hall was mostly full, before casually walking in to mingle with the guests - nervously waiting until she was recognised - with Jon standing just one small step behind her right shoulder and Missi also hovering close by.

~o~0~o~

“Wow, you’re really good at this,” Jon mumbled as she parted company from a couple of business men with a smile and took a very small sip from a glass of champagne to help calm her nerves.

“I have to admit that it’s easier than I expected to fall back into playing the role of Daenerys Targaryen,” she said.

Jon frowned. “What do you mean?”

“When you’re in a big show like ‘Magical Menagerie’, a large part of the job is the promotion; doing interviews or attending sci-fi conferences and there you’re obviously not your character, as such, but you’re never exactly yourself either. The ‘act’ you put on there - the one I’m putting on here - is a subtly different version of yourself? I got coaching on how to be Daenerys in much the same way as I got coached to be Khaleesi. It’s only now that this part of the fame game is coming back to me.”

“I had no idea it was so … complicated.”

She was about to talk about this unique role some more, but another group of guests had noticed her and were approaching rapidly with eager smiles on their faces. Jon quickly took a small step back whilst Dany turned to the new people with a bright smile, happily shaking their hands, acting the part, thanking them for their kind words about the show and taking out her favourite photo of her with her three dogs to show them. (It was a shame the hotel would not allow them inside.)

Then she saw another familiar sight from the past and swallowed hard. “Oh dear, here we go.”

“What is it?” Jon asked.

“A photographer. This is the part I was dreading.”

It was all very well working this small group of select guests, but the journalists here would now have realised that they had rather more than some dull little charity event and the nationals would certainly be taking note tomorrow. And Dany hadn’t missed the few guests who had already been pointing their phones in her direction this evening, no doubt uploading pictures of ‘Khaleesi’ to their various social media accounts.

Up until that point it had been fairly calm but, now that word had got around that the famous Daenerys Targaryen was in the building, she was getting fewer breaks and the guests were starting to get tipsy and considerably more pushy. Suddenly Jon stepped forward to move in front of her, simply staring at one guy who had moved just a little too close, and Dany tried not to grin at the sight of this burly, six foot tall man turn suddenly pale on seeing her bodyguard’s glare and quickly and nervously step back.

“Impressive,” she mumbled, smirking at him, and Jon’s lips twitched in reply as he gently urged her to move away from the gathering crowd. She felt his hand against her waist, the gentle touch warm and thrilling, and looked up to find his eyes focused on her intently, dark and concerned. She smiled her thanks for his consideration only vaguely aware of a few camera flashes going off and wondering if any of her fans were causing a scene behind her back.

“A little break?” Jon suggested and she nodded, allowing him to lead her out of the function room and escort her and Missandei towards the toilets.

“You’re doing well,” Missi said to her as they walked in to find the room mercifully empty, “and Jon’s looking suitably stern and brooding … most of the time.”

“Most of the time?” she asked, checking her reflection in the mirror.

Her friend smirked. “Yes, when he’s not gazing at you longingly.”

Dany rolled her eyes at her friend’s teasing and refused to rise to the bait. She felt better for having had a short break and the chance to freshen up but couldn’t fail to miss Jon’s wide-eyed stare as they walked back towards him in the corridor. She licked her lips, stunned anew at how good he looked in his suit tonight.

“Will you two stop doing that,” Missandei complained.

“Doing what?” Jon asked.

“Having eye-sex in the middle of the corridor. It’s most off-putting.” Then she walked away from them with a sly smile on her face, leaving the pair staring after her, opened mouthed.

Dany received even more attention when she returned to the hall, extra photographers having apparently appeared from nowhere, and with even more people now desperate to meet her. Missandei ensured Dany took breaks whenever she was feeling overwhelmed and Jon’s presence became even more useful, as he stayed extra close to her and used his glower to full effect. Finally though, the evening drew to a close and Davos took to the stage to talk to everyone and thank them for attending and for raising so much money.

This was the last challenge for Dany, stepping up to take the applause and talk a little about the part she had played recently and how much she admired the good work the charity did. This was easier though, far closer to acting, standing up on stage with the audience a comfortable blur whilst reciting learnt lines. Still she was shaking like a leaf by the time she’d walked off, with Missi handing her a glass of water and Davos and Jon both looking at her as if they were worried she was going to break into a thousand little pieces.

“I’m fine,” she reassured them. “Just glad it’s over.”

“Well, I can’t thank you enough, Dany,” Davos said. “Just having you as part of our team last week was enough to increase the money we raised but your appearance tonight … well, that’s been priceless and we should get even more if the local newspapers take up this story.”

She winced, remembering all the cameras and phones pointed at her tonight. “I’m sure there’ll be plenty of coverage and, well, if it raises more money then it’ll have all been worth it.”

“Well, I’m grateful, as I said. I know that it wasn’t easy for you and I think perhaps I have Jon to thank for that?”

He raised his hands. “Hey, I didn’t push her at all. It was her suggestion.”

“It was,” Dany agreed, “but it _was_ because of you. If I hadn’t met you I would never have had the courage to come back out in public. I only hope _you_ won’t come to regret it.”

He shook his head. “I can’t say I’m comfortable with being in front of the cameras but, as long as I can be with you, it’ll all be worth it.”

“Absolutely the right thing to say,” she said, fighting the sudden urge to kiss him. They were alone here, apart from Davos and Missandei but, as she’d said before, it was best for them to learn how to keep their distance whenever they were out in public. At least for now.

“Your taxi’s here, Dany,” Missi said then.

She smiled and left the room with her friend, throwing a knowing look at Jon who nodded in reply. She didn’t want to be seen leaving the hotel with him tonight, just in case, but had given him a spare key to her flat so that he could make his own way there later.

“It’s started,” Missi announced with a loud sigh as she looked at her phone on the back seat of the taxi.

“Oh?”

“I’ve just looked up the Khaleesi hashtag on Twitter and there’s a slightly blurry picture on there uploaded from someone’s phone.”

Dany sighed, looking over her friend’s shoulder. “I did notice a few phones pointed in my direction.” Another picture scrolled into frame. “Ooh, that’s a good one of Jon.”

Missandei rolled her eyes. “God, you are _so_ smitten!”

She giggled. “Many more like that and he’ll be getting his own fan following.”

“Yeah, but I’d brace yourself. I’m sure it won’t be long before the fan-sites discover that the elusive Daenerys Targaryen had come out of hiding.”

She shuddered. “I’ll leave you to keep an eye on all that then, Missi. I’ve learnt from past experience that I do _not_ want to be hanging around those sort of sites come tomorrow morning.”

~o~0~o~

“I worried for a moment that you might have changed by the time I got here,” Jon said as he sauntered into her living room and saw her still in her black dress and high heeled red shoes.

“I was thinking about undressing,” she admitted as she stood up from the sofa and walked towards him, “but then I remembered the look you gave me when you picked me up and changed my mind.”

“Good,” he said, quickly closing the gap between them and running his hands up her bare arms, his head tipped as he stared down at her bodice and obviously tried to figure out how it was staying up. Then, with very little warning, he ducked down to kiss her neck, nibbling her gently whilst his hands trailed lazily down her back.

“You looked so damn sexy all night,” he mumbled against her skin. “It was torture.”

“Same back at you,” she said. “That suit ...”

“And the sight of your legs in those shoes.” He dropped down to his knees, running his hands up her calves and then even higher. “You were almost the same height as me tonight in those things.”

“You like them?”

“I like everything I see. These stockings and this dress ...” As his hands slid higher they lifted the hem up with them and he groaned as he saw the lacy garters around her thighs. “What underwear were you wearing?”

“Why don’t you look and see,” she teased as his lips kissed their way up her leg and his hands rolled her dress up to her hips.

“God, you might was well not have bothered. This is practically string.”

She scoffed. “Considerably more expensive, I assure you.”

“I dread to think how much per millimetre.”

She smirked at him. “Why, Jon? Do you not approve of them?”

His only reply was a hum as he started to explore the skin around the lacy thong with his fingers, tracing slowly up to her hips, along her lower stomach and then down to the inside of her thighs. His lips then joined them; kissing and licking, whilst his fingers teased very slowly under the material causing all sorts of wonderful shivers to cavort across her skin.

“Bedroom ...” she gasped, grabbing a handful of his dark curls, mostly to hold herself steady as her legs became ever more wobbly.

“No,” he replied. “I want you here. Now. I want you to be wearing _all_ of this when I take you.”

“Jon I ...” Her insides twisted and she suddenly found it hard to breathe.

“Lie down on the floor,” he commanded.

She could barely stand anyway, collapsing onto her back on the rug as Jon bunched her dress up to her waist and settled between her legs, unzipping his trousers impatiently and then pushing the thong aside as he prepared to enter her.

He turned his head just before he did so, licking his lips at the sight of her stocking legs and bright red shoes, the sight obviously turning him on.

“Gorgeous,” he declared as he claimed her lips and pushed himself into her. “Oh ...” He paused after just a couple of thrusts, gasping.

“What is it?” she breathed, his own passion now fuelling hers. “Please don’t stop.”

“You were driving me mad all night and now … this … I’m not going to last long.”

Dany laughed gently, leaning up to kiss him and tilting her hips, encouraging him to continue. “This is your payment, remember? You earned this, my handsome bodyguard, and I know you well enough to be confident about getting a refund later anyway.”

“More than one, my beautiful Dany,” he promised, diving back down to kiss her again.

~o~0~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had roughly written this chapter before the Golden Globes, already dressing Dany in a black dress with red jewellry, and got very excited when I realised that Emilia would be wearing something similar.  And, although I made a few subtle tweaks to her outfit here to match up with the photo, I really wanted to keep the red accessories and so reached out to the wonderful [Wil1969](https://wil1969.deviantart.com/) who was kind enough to create the manip for me, even though she doesn't watch GOT.
> 
> The early writing on my new fic 'Warg Riders' is progressing well.  It is a trippy mix of a Magical Menagerie sequel and GOT canon-era AU (And yes, it is Jonerys) and also ties into the last chapter of this fic which I'm very excited about sharing with you all. xxx


	9. Internet and Interviews

Dany woke up the next morning to Jon’s quiet curse. “Damn!”

“What is it?” she asked sleepily.

“My phone’s gone mad. I _never_ get this many messages!”

She sat up with a start, suddenly remembering last night’s charity event, grabbing her own phone and groaning at the large number of alerts on there. “I’d better check Missi’s messages first and see what the damage is,” she decided.

“Damage?” Jon was going to be in for a shock. “Now, why would Arya be trying to call me at this time of day?”

“You going to phone her back?”

He nodded, already holding the phone to his ear. “What’s up, Coz?”

Dany shifted a little closer to him, hoping to eavesdrop, but quickly realised she wouldn’t have to worry as the voice on the other was exceptionally loud and very easy to hear.

“ _Jon! What the hell have you been up to? Why didn’t you tell me? How_ could _you?”_

“Arya ... slow down, I’ve only just woken up. What’s the matter?”

“ _What’s the matter? The matter is that I go onto the forum this morning and there’s all this stuff about Daenerys Targaryen coming out of hiding and then … and then I see this picture of her with … YOU!”_

“Forum?” he asked sleepily.

Despite everything Dany couldn’t help but giggle. Jon really had no idea what the fandom surrounding Magical Menagerie was like and it appeared that his cousin was right in the thick of it.

“You were at a charity event last night with the Daenerys Targaryen!”

“Yes? You know I volunteer for them, and so I was assigned as her bodyguard for the event.”

“ _Yeah, right,”_ Arya scoffed.

“And what does _that_ mean?”

“ _You have seen the photo, yeah?”_

“Photo? What photo?”

Jon glanced over at Dany but she just shrugged in reply, still hunting through Missandei’s messages and trying to work out what was going on. Then she pressed the link her friend had sent and gasped as the image finally loaded.

The photo had obviously been taken shortly after Jon had intimidated that tall guy when he was persuading her to step away. His hand was resting on her waist as she started to move past and she was looking up at him with what Dany had _thought_ was a grateful smile but, in this one split second, looked totally adoring instead, as did the returning gaze from Jon. It honestly looked like they were just about to kiss and she shuddered at the sight. It was as sexy as hell and was now, apparently, all over the internet.

“ _If you were on Twitter I’d_ _tag you_ _,”_ Arya was saying to Jon. _“_ _Do you_ _even_ _have_ _Facebook?”_

“Ah, yes, but I never really use it.”

“ _You are impossible, you know that, right?”_

Dany had got over her shock now and nudged Jon, showing him the photo on her phone and he gaped at it. “Oh … found it now.”

“ _Yeah, so you see why I don’t believe you when you say you were her bodyguard.”_

“Well, I _was_ and I was just … escorting her away when this was taken and ...” Jon stopped, still staring at the picture and belatedly realising how useless it was to try to dismiss what was in front of him.

“ _You need to tell me everything,”_ Arya crowed.

“Certainly not.”

Dany tried very hard not to giggle but didn’t quite manage to keep quiet.

“ _Wait … what was that? Are you telling me …? God, Jon, you said you’d just woken up. Are you actually with her now?”_

“I’m not saying another word without a lawyer present,” he replied promptly, and then yanked the phone away from his ear as a deafening squeal emerged from it.

“ _Oh, my God … You’re actually going out with Daenerys Targaryen?”_

“Arya,” he hissed. “You can’t ask me that and I can’t answer, do you understand? Do you not know what she’s been through?”

“Jon,” Dany said. “It’s all right.”

There was a sudden silence on the other side and she realised then that Arya must have heard her. _“I … of course. I … didn’t think. I forgot.”_ There was another long pause. _“I was just being selfish for a moment, sorry.”_

“You’ve nothing to be sorry about,” Jon said. “And I doubt it’ll remain a secret for long anyway - not now that photo is out there - but, if you could just wait a little longer before you say anything to our family and _please_ don’t mention anything about this online.”

“ _Yes,_ _of course,_ _I understand.”_ Another short pause. _“You two do look incredibly good together, you know?”_

Jon turned to look at her with a soft smile. “Thanks, Coz,” he replied.

“ _And, Daenerys, if you can hear me ... I can’t wait to meet you.”_

She leant towards the phone. “I look forward to it, Arya.”

There was a strangled sound from the other end of the line and even Jon pulling the phone away did little to dampen the sound of the girl’s shriek. _“Oh ..._ _My ..._ _G_ _od!”_

~o~0~o~

Dany came out of the bathroom to find Jon at her computer, a frown on his face.

“What are you doing?”

He jumped up guilty, his cheeks pink. “I just thought I’d see what … I mean, I just looked and … God, Dany, you won’t believe what’s up there.”

“Step away from the Tumblr, Jon,” she commanded, in a mock stern tone. “First lesson of the fame game.”

“But they’re … writing stories about us!”

She nodded. “And drawing fanart.”

“What?” He turned his head back towards the screen and she laughed, darting quickly in front of him to close the window. “Explicit art probably. Trust me, you do _not_ want to be looking at those sites right now. Leave all of that to Missandei.”

His eyes went even wider. “What?”

“She’ll keep an eye on what’s going on and pass on only what we need to know. You won’t miss what you’ve never had.” She frowned. “Although, you said you had Facebook? Better get Missi to check your privacy settings.” She sighed. “I’d better start writing all of this down. Come Jon let’s have breakfast and talk things through. Just like everything else in this relationship, this is all going way faster than I’d originally hoped.”

He grabbed her hands then, moving closer. “I’m sorry that I didn’t do better at keeping my distance last night,” he said. “I’m sorry this has all ... made things more complicated-”

“-It’s fine, Jon you don’t need to-”

“-No, let me finish. I love you, Dany and I can’t say this isn’t all a bit of a shock but … I need you to know that it won’t change a thing. If being with you means being in the public eye with you then, that’s fine. It’s worth it. _You’re_ worth it. Do you understand?”

“Not really,” she replied. “I actually think you’re quite mad.”

He laughed, giving her an exceptionally gentle kiss which, nevertheless had her whole body shuddering with desire. “Madly in love with you, it’s true but, you’re right, let’s talk this through and work out what you want to do next.”

She nodded. “It was scary last night,” she said then, “but also … thrilling and I realised, in a strange way, that I missed it.”

He frowned. “You want to do more events?”

She nodded. “I think so but only if you’re willing to remain as my bodyguard and my boyfriend. If that’s too much for you then I think I’ll forget about it and happily go back into hiding.”

He shook his head. “You will always have that choice, of course, but I’d hate for you to not to take this opportunity when it’s presented itself.”

“I’m still not sure you know what you’re offering, Jon. I’m not sure you understand what it means. It means cameras following us when we run with the dogs or even when we go to the shops. It means people saying nasty things and making up stories. It means-”

Jon interrupted her with a long, passionate kiss, shocking her into silence.

“I love you,” he repeated when he eventually pulled away. “Nothing will ever change that. I will be your bodyguard and your boyfriend and I will follow you into the limelight, do you hear me? I will follow you absolutely anywhere.”

~o~0~o~

####  **Epilogue**  

 

> **An Interview with Daenerys Targaryen**
> 
> by Shireen Baratheon
> 
> _29 th January 2019_
> 
> When I discover I am to interview Daenerys Targaryen it is clear that my professional detachment is about to be severely tested. As a child I was a huge fan of _Magical Menagerie_ and re-watching some of the episodes in preparation for this meeting has reminded me what it was about the show that made it such a global phenomenon.
> 
> I am to meet the actress who shot to fame as Khaleesi, the young Warg Rider, in a large, opulent hotel lobby and, despite knowing how diminutive she is, it is still a shock to have to look down at her as she approaches to shake my hand. She is flanked by her two, now very familiar, dark haired shadows; her pretty female aide and handsome - some might say equally pretty - male bodyguard. The latter caused quite a stir in the media and on fan sites last summer after a candid photo of him and Daenerys at her first charity outing went viral. Since then rumours of a romance between the pair has been regularly speculated on, to the point where many feared the young actress would go scurrying back into hiding. Despite all this, the mysterious Jon Snow has remained in his position, with no official comment having ever been made about his sudden appearance on her staff and all questions about him politely rebuffed or ignored.
> 
> I have been told before this interview that there may be subjects Daenerys does not wish to discuss and am assuming this is one of them. All the same, I cannot help but be curious about her bodyguard as we move to a secluded lounge. His expression remains mostly stern throughout, whilst his eyes rarely stray from his charge and it would be surprisingly easy to read more then professional concern in such glances if one were so inclined.
> 
> Daenerys herself is dressed surprisingly casually this afternoon, well wrapped up against the cold weather and wearing a large rimmed hat, dark glasses, thick winter coat and gloves which she removes only after several minutes of conversation. She greets me exceptionally warmly and, when I thank her for rewarding me with this rare interview, her face breaks into a wide, almost cheeky, smile showing nothing of either her bad-girl child character or the wild-girl teenage actress who so struggled with the media attention five years ago.
> 
> “Oh, you're most welcome. I've been building up gradually, as you know, and the charity work has been a good way to get started. It was high time to start back with the official interviews and your own work with my favourite shelter made it a easy choice really.”
> 
> Daenerys has focused exclusively on animal charities, starting with the shelter in her home town, and so I suggest that this choice might have been a deliberate and personal one.
> 
> “Oh, absolutely. I've always loved animals and all my pets have been adopted not bought for as long as I can remember. So, in the end, it was an easy choice for me to promote my local shelter and support the wonderful work they do nationally too.”
> 
> The conversation then quickly turns to her own pets as she happily shows me a few photos on her Tablet. The sight of the diminutive Daenerys in running gear with her three large dogs by her side has me gaping and she laughs at my surprise, happily sharing a few wild stories about their various antics.
> 
> “They’re Newfoundlands,” she says, acting like a proud mum showing off her children’s school photos, “and I got them as pups about four years ago from the Ipswich shelter and they have been a huge part of my life ever since. The largest one is Drogon, of course,“ and she giggles at the joke; the name of her dragon Familiar on _Magical Menagerie_. “And he plays the part very well. The other two are Rhaegal and Viserion who are also named after the show’s dragons. Not that I'd recommend the breed for everyone and I imagine few would have the time or resources to look after them.
> 
> “That's another important part of the work we do,” she continues. “Education. People so often get small, cute puppies without fully appreciating the work and care needed. The same with any pets, of course, and it’s vitally important that you choose the right animal for you lifestyle. For instance, I run with my dogs six days a week and additionally take them for slower walks - that's at least thirteen sessions a week with them. Not many people would be able to dedicate the time.”
> 
> I wonder then how she’s coping now that she is returning to the public eye and working more away from home.
> 
> “Well yes, that certainly makes it more challenging, although I'm fortunate to have a good support network in place.” She smiles softly. “That was something I didn't really have the last time, you see and, although I don't have any family left, my close friends are now as good as … better to be honest. Now I have them and my animals and it makes everything very much easier.”
> 
> It is a subject I expected to have to skirt around but her answer gives me the courage to prod a little, sympathising with the problems she had in her youth and her decision to keep a low profile for a few years. I then ask about the rumours that she has spent much of this time as a shop keeper and she laughs brightly.
> 
> “A fantasy shop called _Here Be Dragons_! Isn't that ridiculous? After all those years on _Magical Menagerie_ and with me saying I wanted nothing more to do with such things, I then open a shop selling ornamental dragons and fairies. I loved it though. A nice little slice of 'ordinary' and, in many ways, it was a huge wrench to let it go but life moves on and my charity work has helped me to find a new direction in my life.” Her smile grows brighter, her gaze soft and distant for a moment.
> 
> “And we have now moved into a lovely little rural cottage with plenty of space for the dogs and have also recently adopted a cat from the shelter too.” She gives another one of those broad, satisfied smiles. _“_ A huge, white cat called Ghost. Honestly, he's bigger than most dogs and my boys are terrified of him.”
> 
> Her use of the word 'we’ has not gone unnoticed but I keep my curiosity under wraps for now, wondering if it was a slip, a deliberate tease or whether Daenerys is simply referring to herself and her pets.
> 
> “So you're planning on creating your own magical menagerie?” I suggest.
> 
> She laughs loudly. “Oh, what a delightful thought! I suppose that will depend on how much more of this work I end up doing and which direction I decide to take my life from now on but, yes, now I have the space it would be good to adopt more animals.”
> 
> I ask her then if she has any plans to return to acting. The rumours about the _Magical Menagerie_ sequel now seem to have been confirmed and I wonder if she would be tempted to return to the franchise if she were asked.
> 
> “Oh, I've heard about that too, it’s so exciting,” she replies before smiling slyly _._ “I wonder what Khaleesi would be up to now after all those years in self-imposed exile? It’s something I often think about, I admit.”
> 
> “Much like yourself?” I suggest.
> 
> “Exile? In Ipswich?” She laughs brightly. “I suppose there may be some small similarity there, although I was hardly running from death threats, no matter how challenging that time of my life was. Anyway, I'm happy enough to be working with my charities for the time being, but I'll certainly be following any developments on _Warg Riders_ with great interest.”
> 
> I then ask her what else she is doing and she talks about her plans to write. She is working on one book now, she says, focused very much on her animal charities but more details than that she will not divulge. She admits that she is trying to pluck up the courage to write an autobiography too but currently doubts if it will ever be published.
> 
> “I think perhaps writing down my experiences will be therapeutic more than anything else. The dream of sitting quietly in my pretty cottage, writing, running and looking after my family for a few years is certainly very appealing.”
> 
> When I ask her about her upcoming charity events she becomes even more animated, happily talking about her planned appearances over the next few months.
> 
> “But what I’m currently most excited about is The London Marathon in April,” she enthuses. “I wasn’t sure about the distance at first, I’ve only really raced over 10K before, and then there’s the competition to get a place but, of course, when you’re running for a charity ... well, that makes it all the easier.”
> 
> “So, the dogs are getting a lots of extra runs?” I guess.
> 
> She laughs brightly and then pulls a face. “Not really but _I_ certainly am. I need to get the miles up, of course, and undertake plenty of training sessions without their dubious help.” She turns to glance at her bodyguard. “And Jon will be running the marathon with me, as I’d definitely be nervous about being in such a large crowd otherwise.” She shrugs. “Seeing he has to come out with me and the dogs now I’ve got attention back on me anyway, it makes sense he joins in and helps out.”
> 
> To my knowledge this is the first time Daenerys has ever acknowledged her bodyguard in public so I take the opportunity to press a little more.
> 
> “He’s your trainer too?”
> 
> She nods. “And personal slave driver … you have _no_ idea!” Behind her, the man in question rolls his eyes. “He’s ex-military, you see, so you can imagine the sort of training he inflicts on me? One step below torture, let me tell you. Of course, at first I thought he’d want to run it on his own, without me slowing him down, but he wouldn’t hear of it.”
> 
> Jon shakes his head at this, giving me the courage to ask his thoughts on her comment.
> 
> “She does herself an injustice,” he replies quietly, a hint of northern accent showing. “The distance will be as much of a challenge for me, perhaps more so, as I won’t just be running for myself but will have to keep focused on her all the time.”
> 
> “But we can _both_ be sponsored though the charity website,” Daenerys says with a sly smile, the comment making it clearer why she has brought him to our attention now. “And it seems Jon has acquired his own fan base which will hopefully mean even more money can be raised.” The next look she turns on him appears teasing and this time his eye roll is even more dramatic. Daenerys giggles and turns back to me. “There, I know you’ve all been dying of curiosity so I thought it was high time to share the limelight and give all his new fans some information about him.”
> 
> “And how are you finding this new found fame?” I ask Jon.
> 
> His smile is small but charming. “Fame for one photo and standing next to Daenerys for a few events?” he replies modestly. “But I’m grateful that most of the attention has been positive.”
> 
> “It was a very good photo,” I say.
> 
> Daenerys rolls her eyes. “Very much taken out of context but, what can you do? It perhaps helped me realise that I hadn’t been as happy in hiding as I’d thought. Gave me the courage to put myself back out there.” She sighs. “It's still a work in progress, but we’ll see how I feel after the marathon.”
> 
> “Out of context?” I ask. “Whilst there are many who believe that the two of you have a romantic relationship, others are suggesting that all the mystery surrounding it was deliberately set up in order to garner extra publicity.”
> 
> This time her gaze falls on her aide and the young lady on her right seems to be trying hard not to laugh.
> 
> “Ah, you caught us out,” Daenerys admits. “How very clever of you, and so perhaps that means that I haven’t entirely lost my acting ability after all. Perhaps I _should_ consider getting in touch with the _Warg Riders_ show runners?”
> 
> My enthusiastic reaction to that makes her laugh as I admit that, as a fan of _Magical Menagerie,_ I would love to see her back on the screen again.
> 
> “So sweet of you to say,” she says. “Fame is such an odd thing, you know. It all seems so overwhelming when you’re in the midst of it but, oh, how you miss it when it’s gone.”
> 
> I am about to bring the conversation back around to the photo when her aide politely ends the interview and, after a few publicity shots, Daenerys shakes my hand and we all start to part company. As her aide comes over to discuss a few final details, I see Jon holding Daenerys’ coat for her and cannot help but notice the obvious chemistry between the pair, suddenly wondering at the double bluff that has probably been pulled during the last part of this interview.
> 
> Actress, shop keeper, charity worker, writer, runner and mother of ~~dragons~~ dogs. Daenerys Targaryen leaves all in her path awed and it will be fascinating to follow her re-emergence into public life over the upcoming months and years.
> 
> ~o~0~o~

              

####  **THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a unique ending. I hope you like it.
> 
> So, yeah, the rumours about 'Warg Riders' are true! My next fic is a cross-over between GOT and this 'sequel'. Something you'll recognise as 'Game of Thrones' with Daenerys and Jon Snow as (almost) their usual characters rather than the modern actor/bodyguard. Or perhaps this is a fanfiction inserting the real life couple into 'Warg Riders'. (Keep Bodyguard!Jon Snow away from the internet) Haha! Trippy, as I said.
> 
> I will get the first chapter of this out just as soon as I can guarantee my usual regular, weekly updates. Keep an eye on my profile page for further details.
> 
> Thank you so much for your love on this story. It has been a blast to write.


End file.
